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Deaf Can! Coffee, a social enterprise company empowered by the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) of the JN Foundation, officially launched its E3 Cafe, located at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf on Cassia Park Road in Kingston, recently.

The E3 Cafe provides a spacious customised area and is an excellent location for business meetings, conferences and casual functions. The facility also boasts modern amenities, such as high-speed Wi-Fi access, a flat-screen television for presentations, and state-of-the-art coffee-making equipment.

The establishment was officially opened recently at a ‘sip n’ sign’ event held on the campus of the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf.

Blake Widmer, co-founder of Deaf Can! Coffee, said, “The E3 Cafe, which stands for ‘engaging, equipping, and empowering’, is one means to provide job opportunities for members of the deaf community.

“We want to engage deaf young persons, in the process, to learn about coffee, acquire the skills to be a great barista, and know how to serve customers with the skills and confidence which will lead them to be empowered,” he said.

Widmer said that the cafe has a captive audience of some 50 students at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf and that members of staff would either be students at the school or past students who recently graduated.

“Deaf Can! Coffee’s growth can be attributed to several factors. One feature is primarily partnerships. This has allowed us to grow beyond our capacity. But, if we had to go out to purchase equipment and rent space … it would take a lot more capital investment and time. Therefore, what we have done is to partner with existing coffee shops and cafes,” Widmer informed.

Consequently, during the past year and a half, Deaf Can! Coffee increased its partnerships from one to 11 in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, St Elizabeth and St James. Some of its outlets are located at the Embassy of the United States of America, Toyota Coffee House, Jake’s Hotel, Script Cafe, Jablum Coffee House at the NCB Towers, Morgan’s Creek, and Bookophilia. The company also operates a mobile unit.

“Another factor which contributed to our growth was the networking we built from the social enterprise community, primarily through SEBI and the JN Foundation. Through networking, we learned what they were doing, what worked for them, and we were able to build awareness about our products and services through the Buy Social campaign,” he explained.

Opal Whyte, project manager of SEBI, said that the new facility was another revenue stream for Deaf Can! Coffee.

EXCELLENT SERVICE

“What we say to prospective clients is that they can use the power in their purchase to create change by supporting E3 Cafe. They would be satisfying their needs for a private meeting space with great coffee [and] excellent service, and their purchases would stretch beyond to impact the entire deaf community,” she explained.

For the past six years, through the JN Foundation and USAID, SEBI has mobilised investment, enterprise development, employment, and revenue, particularly in underserved communities across the country. SEBI has trained managers and employees to achieve efficiency and growth in their social enterprises by improving their core business competences, such as management and marketing skills.

As a result, participants have enhanced their operations, generating in excess of $37 million in revenue; created more than 15 new market-ready products and services; and have employed more than 100 community members. To date, approximately 24 social enterprises have benefited directly from SEBI through training and participation in its incubator programme.

SEBI is a joint initiative of the JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development.

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Can business ‘do’ good in Jamaica?

‘Yes, it can,” says Grace Foster-Reid who turned her family’s farming business in Balaclava, St Catherine, into Ecofarms, a social enterprise that creates both profit and a positive social impact.

Businesses like hers are increasingly common, thanks in part to the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), powered by JN Foundation and USAID, which has fostered the growth of this sector in Jamaica. It is also in part due to an increasing trend among millennials wanting to find new ways of earning an income and to ‘give back’.

In her forties, Foster-Reid reckons she’s more ‘big woman’ than millennial, but she acknowledges the common ground with her fellow SEBI entrepreneurs, young and elder.

“I believe in a country such as ours that has many social and financial problems, social enterprises have a critical role in helping to heal this nation. When the social enterprises work correctly they create the financial and social stimuli to help Jamaica achieve its Vision 2030 goal to make Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business’.”

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-trained engineer, and veteran of the bauxite industry, Foster-Reid had set out both to revolutionise production at the family farm and to create jobs for community members. In fact, her e-mail signature is a neat synergy of these two goals: “Creating 100 Jamaican jobs through innovating honey.”

She set out in this journey without being aware of the term social enterprise. However, this of course provides the answer to the question, Can business do good for Jamaica?

“I started this business with a mission to create 100 Jamaican jobs,” she says. “However, I didn’t realise that this was a definition of social enterprise. So I took my time to go about setting up my business like a traditional business and focused on setting up systems to grow the business. As a matter of fact, I didn’t have much of an understanding of social enterprise until I met SEBI and went to the function at the US Embassy. This is when I realised that I was an ‘ugly duckling’ for all of these years.”

Far from being ugly, Eco-Farms honey products greet the eyes with international-quality packaging that would stand out on the shelves of any overseas supermarkets. Most importantly, what’s inside is premium, ecologically farmed Jamaican honey. Not being purely for profit doesn’t mean social enterprise should sacrifice on quality.

A balance can be found, as Foster-Reid has found hers, having employed nine Jamaicans towards her target of 100 employees. She’s also managing to employ peoplefrom marginalised groups; with most of her team being deaf and single mothers.

“The main challenge I experienced was that everyone expected me to focus on the bottom line. However, I knew that while profit was important and necessary to fund my social mission, that it was not the only important factor. Over the years, I realise that anytime I am out of sync or balance that I don’t do well. So if I focus mostly on the social mission the financial profit suffers. If I focus mainly on the financial profit, the social mission suffers. So I have to always make sure that the organisation is in balance.”

Being involved in SEBI since the start of 2018 has helped accelerate Ecofarms’ development as a business, and seal two deals, including one with a multinational that Foster-Reid believes will help double her sales. SEBI also provided funding to convert Ecofarms’ beekeeping operations to 100 per cent natural components: from plastic to wood and beeswax. This year the production process became fully automated.

“My employees have always bought into the social mission. However, it is most difficult to sell the social mission to our financial stakeholders. They will always be interested in the profit and are impatient with the time that it takes to build a social mission,” she says.

If you’re considering becoming involved with social enterprise, but have traditional concerns, rest assured, she says: there’s a solution, and it’s the universal credo of businesses worldwide.

“Results. Results dispel all fears!”

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JN Bank employees Ariel Sinclair, operations support officer at the Papine MoneyShop; and Marissa Barrett, project specialist in the Credit Risk Management Unit, recently embarked on new hobbies which they find not only fulfilling, but which have transitioned into positive money-making opportunities.

Ariel Sinclair

Two years ago, Sinclair started to create exotic designs on discarded wine bottles, an idea he gleaned from a class discussion about waste management, while pursuing a logistics management programme at Excelsior Community College.

His awareness about his individual responsibility to protect the environment, led him to ponder about what he could personally contribute to reduce waste.

“My initial idea was to recycle tyres to make seats or centre tables, as I saw other persons doing that; but, the process would have been time consuming.

Then I thought about up-cycling wine bottles and find new uses for them. I became more interested in that idea.”

Being artistically inclined, Sinclair decided to pursue creating exotic designs on discarded wine bottles.

Since creating the first bottle about two years ago, he has designed close to 200 bottles, 70 of which are part of his personal collection.

Last Christmas, he filled 40 special orders, and also supplied bottles that were used as centre pieces for weddings and parties.

“I do sets of three bottles, each with contrasting designs. Each set is sold for $1,500; however, persons who wish to acquire a single bottle can purchase one for $700. I really enjoy bottle painting. It is very relaxing and allows me to express my creativity,” he related.

Marissa Barrett

Marissa Barrett’s new hobby emerged following an exhaustive search for a desk organiser that was both functional and aesthetically appealing. When she could not find any organisers in a store or online, she decided to make it herself.

For Marissa, having grown up in a family of carpenters, she was exposed to designing and creating things from an early age.

“I recall that when I was about six or seven years old, I was often in my father’s woodwork shop. I made picture frames; and later, even constructed a bookshelf, with my father’s help, which I varnished and stained myself.”

While a student at Mannings School, Marissa excelled in art and craft, using a variety of materials including seashells and clothes pins.

Late last year, she got back into the groove of art and craft when she made her desk organiser. To date, she has designed about 30 organisers, and the one that occupies her desk remains her favourite.

Using craft items sourced online, Marissa makes desk organisers in various sizes, designs and colours, usually from the specifications given by her clients. The prices, she said, are kept at a minimum, which basically covers the cost of materials. A small organiser that serves as a pen and pencil holder is sold for $500, while a larger one with multi compartments, complete with a tray and vision board, is sold for up to $4,500.

“It’s a very fulfilling feeling when I see the enthusiastic reaction after I complete and deliver each piece,” she explained.

You could earn from your hobby
Rose Miller, grants manager at the JN Foundation, urges persons to consider earning an income from their hobby, as Ariel and Marissa have successfully done.

“Having an additional stream of income can go a far way in balancing your budget at the end of the month; and provide funds which can be saved, or invested to reach your financial goals,” Miller advised.

She maintained that, “Because a hobby is an enjoyable activity, sustaining this side business is achievable, as you are doing something that you are passionate about. Besides, the satisfaction gained from seeing others enjoying the products or service you provide; and, the income earned from your skill can make a significant contribution to your financial security,” she said.

Miller noted that hobbies, such as cooking, gardening, singing, playing an instrument, writing, photography or painting, can be quite profitable; and the products or service can be promoted via social media.

Jacqueline Shaw Nicholson, communications and client services manager, at JN Small Business Loans, said that several of her clients started their business out of their hobby; and, pointed out that, persons who are currently operating their “side business” can obtain a loan to expand it.

“Loans for micro and small businesses range from $20,000 to $15,000,000 with loan term of up to five years for repayment,” she disclosed.

To view Ariel’s catalogue of designs, visit his social media handle at Integra: @Wine_Bottle_Art. And, Marissa’s artistic expressions can be viewed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mbdesigns2017.

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WHEN the owners of Deaf Can! Coffee were approached by the Jamaica National Foundation in 2016 to join its Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), they had one major concern — they did not know how to run a business.

Fast-forward almost two years and numerous training sessions later, Deaf Can! Coffee, through the SEBI, is doing much better financially.

But even though the company is tight-lipped about its finances, Opal Whyte, project manager of JN Foundation/USAID SEBI Programme, has argued that the social profit of developing a business managed and operated by hearing-impaired entrepreneurs is just as important as its monetary gain.

“Deaf Can! really represents the best of a business with a purpose… It is very clear what the mission of Deaf Can! is: to engage, equip and empower people who are deaf,” Whyte told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday at the public launch of Deaf Can! Coffee’s E3 Café in Cassia Park, St Andrew.

“The JN Foundation sees the work of Deaf Can! as not only impacting those who are employed to Deaf Can!, but the deaf community is so enthusiastic about the possibilities that are there. We are changing people’s perspective of how they view people who are deaf, and what we ultimately hope is that the rest of Jamaica will include persons who are deaf into mainstream activities,” Whyte added.

The launch, which was an effort by JN Foundation to sensitise the public to the existence and operations of the E3 Café, was attended by various representatives from public and private businesses in corporate Jamaica, who were treated by the Deaf Can! staff to a variety of coffee beverages and pastries.

The café also carries a line of branded Deaf Can! T-shirts, hand-sculpted coffee mugs, and handcrafted bracelets and earrings.Whyte encouraged the attendees to support the café — which boasts modern amenities, such as high-speed Wi-Fi access, a flat-screen television for presentations and state-of-the-art coffee-making equipment — by making it their choice for coffee and other delights, as well as booking the space for small business meetings.

“It is another revenue stream for Deaf Can!,” she said. “But you will also be supporting the cause of empowering Jamaica’s deaf community.”

E3 Café, which stands for ‘engaging, equipping, and empowering’ Jamaicans who are deaf is located at Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf Kingston campus, one of several locations from which Deaf Can! Coffee is sold.

Other outlets are at the United States Embassy, Toyota Coffee House, Jakes Hotel, Script Café, Jablum Coffee House at the NCB Towers, Morgan’s Creek and Bookophilia.

In addition, the company operates a mobile unit.

Having graduated from the incubator phase of the SEBI — which provided training in brand development, product pricing and sales, negotiating with private sector and staff recruitment — Deaf Can! Coffee has matriculated to the accelerator phase, which offers training in leadership development, management of employees and private sector partners, and management of growth.

Noting that through the SEBI, Deaf Can! has increased its number of employees from two to more than 26, Whyte told Sunday Finance that she hopes all Jamaicans will be inspired by the company.

“Deaf Can! represents not just empowerment for deaf persons, but for everybody,” she said. “Everybody can, and Deaf Can! is one of the greatest symbols of that. It doesn’t matter what your limitation is or what access you think you didn’t have. It is possible for anybody to achieve their goals once they work towards it and create that structure.”

The SEBI, which began in 2013, is a programme created by JN Foundation, with the support of the United States Agency for International Development, aimed at creating an enabling business environment for social enterprises in Jamaica, and assisting them in transitioning their grant-funded operations into viable, profit-making businesses which can support their social missions.

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With some parishes across the country already experiencing drought conditions and others forecasted to be affected into September, Jamaicans are being urged to conserve water and implement measures that will assist in saving the precious commodity.
The JN Foundation through its Water Project is encouraging Jamaicans to make necessary changes to help save water.  These changes include the use of general conservation practices as well as considering the installation of water saving devices such as high efficiency shower heads, low flush toilets, kitchen and bathroom aerators.
The water project’s encouragement is timely given that the Meteorological (Met) Service of Jamaica has issued a Drought Alert for sections of St Catherine, Clarendon and Portland and has noted that during the period, July to September, the forecasts are indicating a high possibility of warmer-than-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall.
Onyka Barrett Scott, acting general manager of the JN Foundation, which manages the Water Project said that given the drought situation, it would be prudent for everyone to implement practical measures, such as seeking to use less water and inspecting all pipes, toilets and faucets for leaks.
“Replace inefficient fixtures with water saving devices, which are either Water Sense Labeled, or use 20-25 per cent less water than standard units,” Mrs. Barrett Scott advised.
According to the National Water Commission (NWC), water consumption at home can be reduced by as much as 30 per cent, by using proper water saving devices and good conservation practices.
Mrs. Barrett Scott informed that through the four year water project, the JN Bank & JN Foundation will collaborate with the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), to assist Jamaicans to adapt to climate change; and implement measures that will result in more efficient use of water.
“The Water Project Jamaica focuses on the important role that householders and real estate developers can and should play, through the adaption of water efficiency technologies which can help us better manage our use of water,” she said.

The project seeks to raise awareness about the threats of climate change; and, also build local capacity, to design and install water adaptation measures; to foster entrepreneurship and local innovation as well as, to provide loans to implement new technologies. The loan component of the project is scheduled to come on stream in the latter quarter of 2018.

In the interim, Jamaicans should begin to take action in their respective households to be more responsive to changing climatic conditions. 
For additional steps you can take to be more water efficient at home, persons can read the Water Project’s Homeowner’s Guide to Water Use efficiency at http://www.waterprojectja.com/resources/

Disregard for simple road safety practices such as the use of seatbelts, helmets and child restraint systems, is causing Jamaican children to die, according to recent research findings on child road safety, commissioned by the JN Foundation and The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
“Speeding and riding without a motorcycle helmet, as well as transporting a child without proper child restraints are among the most frequent traffic violations involving children,” said Dr. Earl Bailey, senior lecturer at the University of Technology, and lead researcher on the JN Foundation/UNICEF Child Road Safety Assessment Report.
Dr. Bailey was speaking at the official launch of the research data, which was held at The University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters, Mona Campus, on Wednesday, July 18.
He said that in 2017, some 32,365 traffic tickets were issued for exceeding the speed limit. Tickets issued for driving without seat belts totalled some 113,677.
The UTECH researcher further divulged that transporting a child without a child restraint resulted in 3,604 tickets. Tickets to motorcyclists riding without protective helmets totalled approximately 2,728.
“Fines are not the answer, there must be behavioural and structural changes,” Dr. Bailey advised; as he pointed out that, “Over the last 40 years traffic fines have failed to curb road fatalities and crashes.”
Onyka Barrett Scott, acting general manager of the JN Foundation, speaking at the launch, agreed that there must be behavioural change.
“We are guardians of our children. Many of us drop them off at school, daily; and, some of us don’t have the luxury of dropping them off, we simply put them on a bus. Therefore, this is something real for many of us,” she stated.
“We do have a moral responsibility to ensure that our children are able to grow up; be educated in a safe and enabling environment; and, being safe on the road is part of that.”
Mrs Barrett Scott explained that, the research will be used to implement road safety strategies across the country, particularly in those parishes where the highest level of road crashes and fatalities occur.
“The research findings will be used as part of the X –Mark the Spot Road Safety Campaign, to inform teachers, students, parents and community members, at the schools we select, about use of safety interventions, such as: bus lay-bys, improved pedestrian crossings, and pedestrian’s gates,” she outlined.
Mrs Barrett Scott also emphasised that, “the research data will not simply gather dust on a shelf, as it will be actively used to influence change to save lives.”
Up to late December 2017, the total road fatalities stood at 313 persons, with children accounting for some six per cent of the total.

Paula Henry, a member of The Jamaica National Group, for the past five years, was happy that she attended the Bewi$e Programme’s Financial Literacy Seminar, which was held at the JN Bank’s Spanish Town Branch, on July 18.
“I learned that you must save often. If you never saved before, it was time to start,” the mother of seven said, as she reacted to the session which was presented by Rose Miller, grants manager, at the JN Foundation.
Mrs. Miller informed the approximately 20 participants about the value of savings, advising that, “At least 10 per cent of your income should go towards savings, as soon as you receive your pay; and budget the remaining sum for your on-going expenses.”
For Mrs. Paula Henry, the “take away,” was the importance of planning now for one’s retirement.
“I need to start my pension fund because I have not started it yet. I never learned that from anybody. And, I now recognise that JN Bank is really like a family; and I appreciate what I have learned,” she said of the session.
For Wentle Lodge, a JN member who has resided in England for some 30 years; and was on vacation in Jamaica, his “take away lesson,” was how to manage a credit card.
“I always thought having a credit card was like creating a trench of debt and avoided using it. However, Mrs. Miller’s presentation was an eye opener,” he stated.
She advised participants that, “This is money loaned to you by a creditor, to make purchases and pay the bill at a later date. However, you must ensure that you use your card wisely; and pay off your credit card bill in full, on time, and all the time, to avoid paying back interest and racking up a debt you will struggle to repay.

Mrs. Miller also explained that it was important to pick the right credit card, which is suitable for your needs; read and fully understand the terms of the agreement. “Obtaining a credit card helps you to save your money and use money loaned to you; it
is also a good tool in cases of an emergency,” she added.
Mr. Lodge was adamant that he will be bolstering his investment options, as he pointed out that, relying on one’s pension savings only will not guarantee a comfortable standard of living during retirement.

“I personally believe in investment. I have bought properties and I am exploring other business options,” he shared.

Mrs Miller pointed out that The JN’s Be Wise Financial Literacy Project was launched by the JN Foundation, in collaboration with the Inter-American Dialogue in June 2013.Initially, the programme targeted remittance customers, many of whom were unbanked; and, it was subsequently expanded to include other groups, including children. 
Using a toolkit designed to debunk the myth that financial independence is a dream attainable by only a few, the workshops promoted the idea that, with knowledge, discipline and commitment, financial independence can be achieved by many.
“The programme was revamped in 2015, and renamed the Financial Empowerment Programme,” she explained, “And since then, it has become one of the most sought after programmes at the JN Foundation, as more people become aware that proper money management is necessary in the quest to achieve their financial goals.”
“We welcome the response from participants, as the programme continues to achieve a high level of success, transforming lives and providing hope, as members embrace their role and responsibility in the quest for financial freedom,” Mrs Miller stated.
Since 2014, it is estimated that some 15,235 persons have benefitted from financial empowerment training.

Mixing social and corporate took on a new light in the courtyard of Opa Greek Restaurant at Devon House last Thursday evening at the first staging of the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative’s (SEBI) Biz Mix series.

With summer in full swing, invitees stayed cool as they made connections and enjoyed the evening, titled a night of ‘speed dating’.

Following a Privilege Walk that challenged social enterprise entrepreneurs to reveal the assistance their businesses have received; introductory speeches were given by Solomon Sharpe of Main Event and Kadeem Petgrave of SEBI Social Enterprise EducaTours detailing how they made networking work for their businesses.

For Sharpe it was all about using his network to grow and diversify into an even larger company. Meanwhile Petgrave noted that when Educatours had no resources to fulfil the first booking it received, he realised the need to get creative, and fast, with no small thanks to his Jamaica College-powered network.

It was a night of friends and collaborators, both new and renewed.

Guests mingled in the transformed venue – decorated as a gallery – showcasing the work of SEBI members from across the island and from rural to urban.

They enjoyed the delicious fare of Callaloopita, Chilli Potato Fritters, Opa BBQ Wings, Keftadakia, and stamp-and-go; before participating in the ‘getting to know you’ part of the night.

After a short break it was time to get to the ‘meet’ of the matter. Dubbed a ‘marriage in five minutes’ by master of ceremonies Ryan Dixon, owners of social enterprises were given the opportunity to sit and share ideas, goals and get advice from larger corporations. And the speed dating element? This had to be done in a few minutes before it was time to switch chairs and have the conversation with someone new.

According to Onyka Barrett-Scott, General Manager of JN Foundation, which runs SEBI, “Everyone wants to find the perfect match – even in business. Our social enterprises can benefit from meeting team members from larger companies to gain connections, get guidance and learn how to network. This event is a part of the culmination of over five years’ work for SEBI; we’ve helped catalyse the work of over 20 businesses – who have made a difference in their communities and contributed to the country’s GDP.”

The Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) is a joint JN Foundation United States Agency for Development (USAID) project.

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Onyka Barrett Scott (left), acting general manager of the JN Foundation; Hon. Floyd Green (third left), Minister of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and Rebecca Tortello, education specialist at UNICEF Jamaica sign the pledge board in support of improving child road safety. Looking on are Dr. Earl Bailey (second left) of the University of Technology and lead researcher of the Child Road Safety Assessment Report and Lone Hvass, deputy representative, UNICEF Jamaica. Occasion was the launched of the Child Road Safety Assessment Report at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters on Wednesday, July 18.