ApaNa Magazine December 2019

A p a Na DECEMBER

2019

ISSUE #1

Towar ds A Cir cular Economy: Beyond Recycling Sustainability

Business

Doing Good

Plus

Suppor ting the Blue- Green Economy: CANARI. Page 24

Aligning Marketing Str ategy with Social Causes Page 42

Non- profit Spotlight: RISE (St.Lucia) Inc. Page 52

Obesity Prevention Public Opinion Sur vey Jamaica Page 76

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Inside this Issue SUSTAINABILITY ApaNa Magazine is dedicated to promoting sustainability, responsible business and social engagement in the Caribbean.

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SUPPORTING THE BLUE-GREEN ECONOMY

The f irst issue of ApaNa magazine covers various major themes and trends to familiarize readers with key concepts that will be useful for future readings.

We included interviews and stories from people and organisations to provide an overview of what is happening in protecting our environment, sustainable business, corporate philanthropy and good works in the Caribbean.

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PLASTIC & STYROFOAM LEGISLATIVE BAN IN THE CARIBBEAN

The following issues will provide more in-depth reviews, exper t insights, research and case studies per taining to developments at the local, regional and international levels.

Nine countries banned single-use plastic and Styrofoam to reduce plastic waste and environmental pollution in the Caribbean.

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ApaNa Magazine - December 2019

TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY: BEYOND RECYCLING In this article we explore the transition from a linear and recycling economy to a circular economy as a solution to waste management and protecting our planet.

BUSINESS

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SMALL-CRAFT CHOCOLATE MAKERS CHANGE CARIBBEAN COCOA INDUSTRY An overview of small craft chocolate makers' contribution to the Caribbean economy based on an interview with Chris Brennan, Director of Pump Street Chocolate, United Kingdom

Write to Us ApaNa is accepting ar ticle submissions, case studies, news and stories about corporate social responsibility, philanthropy, sustainable business practices, social engagement and good works in the Caribbean. Kindly note that all submissions are subject to editorial review and approval. Please send your ar ticle ideas and submissions to editor@apanamagazine.com

An interview with Nicole Leotaud, Executive Director of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) in Trinidad and Tobago.

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CARIBBEAN CORPORATE CITIZEN: AN EXAMPLE ApaNa demonstrates the impact of a fictitious company's corporate philanthropy on people's lives with inspiring personal stories

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ALIGNING MARKETING STRATEGY WITH SOCIAL CAUSES Recognising the growing link between social impact and financial performance, this article focuses on cause-related marketing as a strategy.

DOING GOOD

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RESCUING FOOD FOR A SOCIAL CAUSE

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FINDING MY CAUSE THROUGH A LOVE FOR READING AND A PASSION FOR WRITING

Jean-Claude Cornaund, a Trinidadian Chevening scholar, recalls his first experience with social entrepreneurship in the Hague, Netherlands

Joanne C. Hillhouse, writer and publisher, talks about her passion for reading and writing and her mission to nurture young writers in Antigua and Barbuda

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NON-PROFIT SPOTLIGHT: RISE (ST.LUCIA) INC. Interview with Dr. Stephen King, Director, RISE INC. St.Lucia on his philanthropic journey and evolution of RISE (St.Lucia) Inc. as they support St. Lucian youth.

24 PLUS

20 41

BEYOND RECYCLING PLASTIC

62

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS: 5 THINGS A NON-PROFIT SHOULD KNOW TO ATTRACT CORPORATE PARTNERS

76

OBESITY PREVENTION PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY JAMAICA

80 84

CARIBBEAN NON-PROFIT PROFILES

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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BIZTOWN JAMAICA

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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SAINT LUCIA

Alphie Aiken, President of Junior Achievement Jamaica discusses the model town run by students for one day.

Agnella Joseph, Executive Director of Junior Achievement Saint Lucia shares her perspective on private sector engagement and the Christian Husbands Agripreneurship Program

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, PHILANTHROPY, CAUSE MARKETING & PURPOSE-LED MARKETING

CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONS INDEX

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ApaNa Publisher & Founder Deborah Hackshaw editor@apanamagazine.com

Editorial Team Michele-Lauren Hackshaw Lisel Charles

Cont ributors Joanne C.Hillhouse Jean-Claude Cournand

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATION advertising@apanamagazine.com OECS SALES REPRESENTATION Cennette Flavien Marketing and Promotional Services marketingprservices@gmail.com

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Editor 's Note

Acting responsibly is a long- term sustainable investment.

More responsible businesses are recognising the need to redef ine their corporate image and give back to society to meet the growing demands of their socially conscious consumers and stakeholders. It is indeed encouraging to see many Caribbean organisations are now concerned with the environment and the communities that they operate in but more needs to happen.

In our sustainability section, we highlight the benef its of moving from the linear/recycling economy to a circular economy model to save our planet. We discuss the work of CANARI, a regional organisation, mandated to protect our natural resources and, depict the ban on single-use plastic and Styrofoam enacted and implemented by Caribbean governments as par t of their effor ts to reduce plastic waste.

The corporate sector has a key role to play in protecting the environment and social and economic development. In our business section, we look at cause marketing and examine the impact of the corporate sector's sustainable business, corporate philanthropy and par tnerships on industr y and the lives of Caribbean people. We also provide an example of how a company can demonstrate its social impact of a company's corporate philanthropy and its collaboration with non-prof it organisations.

In our Doing Good section, the work of three non-prof it organisations are highlighted. We also included the observations of a Trinidadian Chevening scholar on how a Dutch social enterprise suppor ts people in need and, a philanthropist's reflection on how she found her cause. We felt it was impor tant to include some insights and how-to advice for the benef it of our readers in our Plus section.

We hope you enjoy this issue as we pursue our interest in a better Caribbean society.

Debor ah Hackshaw Founder & Publisher

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SUSTAINABILITY

Car ibbean Natural Resources I nstitute (CANARI ) Thir ty years on, CANARI's strong emphasis on research, capacity building, par tnerships, communication and policy advocacy continues to promote the environmental sustainability and economic development of the wider Caribbean.

Established in 1989, the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), a regional technical institute, facilitates and promotes natural resource governance to conserve biodiversity, enhance ecosystem goods and services and, strengthen livelihoods and well-being of the poor.

Vision A Caribbean people committed to responsibility and stewardship for natural and cultural resources through governance founded on equitable and effective par ticipation aimed at improving the quality of life for Caribbean people.

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Mission: CANARI?s mission is to promote and facilitate equitable par ticipation and effective collaboration in the management of natural resources critical to development in the Caribbean islands, so that people will have a better quality of life and natural resources will be conserved, through action learning and research, capacity building, communication and fostering par tnerships.

www.canari.org

GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE Region -

CARICOM Organsation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Car ibbean Countr ies -

Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica St.Kitts and Nevis St.Lucia St.Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago

Over seas Ter r itor ies

PROGRAMS Thematic Pr ogr ams - Coastal & Marine Livelihoods and Governance - Forests, Livelihoods and Governance Issue Pr ogr ams -

Civil Society and Governance Climate Change and Governance Green Economy Rural Livelihoods

-

Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curacao Guadeloupe Mar tinique Monsterrat Puer to Rico Saba Saint Mar tin Sint Bar thelemy Sint Eustatius Sint Mar teen Turks and Caicos US Virgin Islands

Photo: Employees of Grande Rivere Chocolate Company, a microenterpise in Trinidad & Tobago at a sampling event at a local supermarket, Massy Stores. Left to right: Abrella Barker, Shelly-Ann James and Sherry-Ann James

Suppor ting the Blue- Green Economy of the Car ibbean

Inter view with Nicole Leotaud Executive Director, Caribbean National Resources Institute (CANARI) Trinidad & Tobago

Recently ApaNa inter viewed Nicol e Leotaud to shar e some insights into CANARI 's r ol e in pr omoting the Gr een-Blue Economy of the Car ibbean, how the or ganisation wor ks with r egional par tner s and businesses to pr omote sustainabl e devel opment in the r egion.

capacity of local community micro-enterprises using natural resources, for example in community ecotourism and small-scale f isheries, to strengthen local livelihoods and economic development.

Tel l us about CANARI and the wor k that it does to pr omote envir onmental ly sustainabl e economic devel opment in the Car ibbean.

The Easter n Car ibbean Gr een Economy Bar ometer r epor t, r el eased in November 2018, found that the OECS?tr ansition to a gr een economy is bel ow aver age. How is CANARI suppor ting the OECS in making this tr ansition?

CANARI is a non-prof it technical institute working across the Caribbean for the past 30 years to promote and facilitate stakeholder par ticipation in the stewardship of natural resources. We feel that top-down approaches to development don?t work and people need to be involved in the decisions about how natural resources are used for development to deliver economic benef its (including suppor ting livelihoods of poor local communities) and social well-being, while protecting natural ecosystems. We do research and suppor t governments to develop policies and plans that suppor t environmentally sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic development. We also build

CANARI is currently suppor ting the OECS Commission to develop an OECS Regional Green-Blue Economy Strategy and Action Plan. The OECS Council of Ministers of Environmental Sustainability has recognised the impor tance of ensuring that economic development in the OECS is environmentally sustainable, inclusive and resilient.

They want a strategy that can help them to build on ?green shoots? of positive initiatives already happening. We are working with OECS stakeholders to def ine key principles, objectives, policy needs, pathways, capacity needs and par tnerships for economic transformation. This will include enabling regulator y, f iscal and f inancing policies and apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

2019

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SUSTAINABILITY

programmes which suppor t micro, small and medium enterprises and greening of priority economic sectors.

How woul d you descr ibe the blue-gr een economy in the Car ibbean?

What we need to focus on is that we are aiming to transform Caribbean economies so that they are more environmentally sustainable, inclusive and resilient. Economic activities must not degrade natural ecosystems. Economic benef its must be more equitably distributed through suppor ting local businesses, providing economic oppor tunities for the poor and ensuring decent jobs and working conditions. Economies must be resilience to the impacts of climate change and external and internal socio-economic shocks.

Sustainabil ity and economic devel opment often seem to be at odds with each other. Tel l us why you think they ar e compl ementar y.

Natural ecosystems are the foundation of our economic development and well-being in the Caribbean so protecting them should be complementary to economic development.

Unfor tunately, too often economic development decisions in the Caribbean are based on shor t-term dollar or job benef its, and the longer-term costs of ecosystem destruction are ignored. Natural capital accounting recognises the value of ecosystem goods and services as ?capital? and therefore any activity that degrades or destroys ecosystems reduces ?capital? that we need to suppor t continued economic activity.

Do you think col our coding our economy ? blue or gr een - matter s?

The colours are not impor tant and let?s not get

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distracted by the latest buzz words. What?s impor tant are the underlying principles of environmental sustainability, inclusiveness and resilience. ?Green economy? star ted with emphasizing the impor tance of environmentally sustainable approaches as key in economic development. Then we added the idea of fairness, given the widening gap between rich and poor and huge social problems even when there is ?economic growth?. ?Blue economy? emphasizes that much of our natural capital is in the oceans. Using oceans sustainably is a key par t of an environmentally sustainable (or ?green?) economy.

Do you think that ther e is a genuine buy-in to the need for sustainabil ity by Car ibbean businesses?

Caribbean consumers are becoming more aware of the need to be environmentally sustainable, and willing to pay more for this, so there is a growing demand that smar t businesses are already using in their marketing. Innovative technologies and government suppor t (including tax breaks and subsidies) are making it more cost-effective for businesses. They are seeing longer-term benef its to their bottom-line from investing in renewable energy or pollution-control measures. Buy-in is coming from a recognition that sustainability makes good business sense.

Companies ar e often accused of ?gr een-washing?or ?blue-washing?. How can we minimize this in the Car ibbean?

Consumers and government regulators need to be very clear on what is meant by a ?green? business. Is it environmentally sustainable by not polluting the environment and destroying ecosystems? Is it suppor ting local businesses, providing decent jobs with fair wages, and spreading economic benef its to

Caribbean people (rather than foreign companies)? Is it promoting a resilient approach reducing our risk to the impacts of climate change and fluctuating global markets? Active consumers and civil society need to demand accountability from businesses, government regulators and those approving investments to protect our local economy, environment and people.

Wher e do you see the Car ibbean?s Gr een-Blue economy in 5 to 10 year s?time?

I would like to see Caribbean economies be much more about suppor ting local businesses (especially community micro enterprises), using natural capital approaches in national accounts, and applying triple-bottom line approaches in investments and businesses. This requires a collective vision and commitment of government, businesses and consumers to development approaches that must deliver well-being and long-term prosperity for Caribbean people.

Twigs Natural Co-founder, Cheryl-Ann JnBaptist chatting with customer at Upmarket, Trinidad & Tobago (top), Turtle Hatchery in Grande Riviere, Trinidad & Tobago (inset), Member of Mayreau Explorers Cooperative Union showing the Euchema spp.seamoss collection in St.Vincent & the Grenadines (bottom).

Twigs Natur al s is a local business based in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago which makes 100% natural herbal teas using all-natural ingredients. Twigs Naturals seeks to give back to its community by hiring people, mainly single mothers, who would other wise f ind it diff icult to get a job that pays a decent wage.

Mayr eau Expl or er s Cooper ative in engaged in seamoss farming using an innovative ver tical farming technique in the Tobago Cays Marine Park, St.Vincent & the Grenadines. Products include: seamoss rum punch and seamoss icecream. Photo Cour tesy: Philman Ollivierre.

The Gr ande Rivier e Tour Guides Association is a community-based organisation located in Grande Rivere, Trinidad & Tobago. It focuses on environmental conservation and awareness, especially around sea tur tles, alongside eco-tourism and other enterprises based on the use of ecosystem goods and services. apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

2019

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SUSTAINABILITY

BEYOND RECYCLING PLASTIC Single-use plastic is estimated at f ifty per cent of total production and used mainly for packaging. Current recycling content levels are very low at less than ten per cent for most common plastics. With little recycled content and poor recycling rates, plastic waste disposal is now a problem. Countries have taken steps to ban the use of plastic in an effor t to curb plastic pollution in their environment. Many environmentalists argue that it is unrealistic to ban the use of plastic because of its unique proper ties so alternative solutions are needed.

Plast ic Wast e Plastic waste is the fastest growing pollutant and travels the world. Unfor tunately there is no global standardized approach to handle waste responsibly and, the levels of environmental awareness differs worldwide. In addition, many countries do not have effective systems for managing waste. This is par ticularly evident in the Caribbean where tackling waste pollution is still in its infancy stage.

Wh y Plast ic?

Cir cu lar Appr oach

Plastic is essential to our ever yday living. It is now the standard and most used material for a large number of applications such as packaging. Its functions range from protecting products from damage during transpor tation to being used in consumer goods. Plastic is versatile and suitable for almost any application because it is easily moulded, laminated, shaped and tailored physically and chemically. While the use of modern-day organic, biodegradable plastics and smar ter packaging design is increasing, the plastic pollution problem remains paramount in our environment.

While consumers are encouraged to dispose of unwanted or used plastics in a responsible way by making them available for recycling or placing them into an effective waste collection system, this is not enough. There is a need to design out waste. Waste does not exist when the biological and technical components of a product are designed for re-marketing, re-manufacture, disassembly and re-purposing. The most innovative solution is to adopt the circular economy system which would reduce waste, decrease resource consumption and environmental pollution.

Plastic & Styr ofoam Legislative Ban in the Car ibbean Car ibbean gover nments ban the impor tation and/or use of single use plastic and Styrofoam to reduce plastic pollution

T

he Caribbean Sea is the second most plastic-contaminated sea in the world after the Mediterranean Sea. The United Nations

Environment Program (UNEP), in a repor t on the Status of Styrofoam and Plastic Bags in the Wider Caribbean (May 2019), estimates 600 - 1,414 plastic items per square kilometer in the Caribbean Sea.

full ban coming into effect in 2021.

While governments have put measures in place to reduce plastic pollution in the Caribbean, it is up to all of us - businesses and individuals - to reduce our consumption of all types of plastic, utilise sustainable alternatives and ensure proper plastic waste disposal.

In an effor t to reduce plastic pollution in the region, Caribbean governments have banned the impor tation of single-use plastic and Styrofoam in their respective countries. Antigua and Barbuda was the f irst to take action in 2016 with St. Lucia most recently issuing a ban is August 2019. Some governments have taken a phased approach with the

The following infographic depicts the status of the ban of single-use plastic and Styrofoam in nine countries namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Magazine Name

Pr ot ect Your Envir onment

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SUSTAINABILITY

Towar ds a Cir cular Economy: Beyond Recycling The r allying call for action to reduce plastic pollution and climate change is resonating across the world. As a population, we must reflect on how we got to this point and focus on solutions.

E

conomic progress has led to the alarming depletion of natural resources and worsening of environmental pollution problems. This is fur ther exacerbated by the exponential human population growth which is expected to reach eight billion by 2050. Exper ts estimate that the human demands on our ecosystem is at least 75% more than nature can generate.

This is not sustainable. As a result, policymakers, f inancial institutions, businesses and individuals are reevaluating and reinventing the way they operate and how they make and use goods and services so that economic development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.

It is argued that, the mindset of make, use and dispose? associated with today's l inear economy signif icantly contributed to the resource and environmental problems we face. This economic model which relies on large quantities of easily accessible resources and energy for

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activities such as manufacturing, continues to drain resources and produces high volumes of waste, most notably, plastic waste. Over the years, various measures have been under taken to reduce the amount of resources and energy consumed but this has not gone far enough to ensure the continuous supply of resource stocks and, eliminate waste.

As we became increasingly aware of the environmental consequences of our actions and the limited supply of resources and energy that is not always easily obtainable, we saw a shift towards the r ecycl ing economy system of ?make, use, recycle and dispose?. The recycling economy aims to minimize the damage of waste and implies a system where all low-value, single-use materials can be recycled effectively in the long-term. Given that recycling works with a limited range of products (such as paper, some metals and plastics), it has not had a signif icant impact on material usage, consumption patterns or

SUSTAINABILITY

business thinking. In addition, the process of recycling does not necessarily facilitate a better flow of resources through the economy as a whole. In fact, it can produce a large amount of pollution depending on the process as in most cases, recycling is ?down-cycling?. One rarely recycles a product into the same kind of product. For example, plastics from recycled packaging is not usually re-used because the inseparable mix of materials used are quite dangerous. Although recycling is sometimes necessar y, it is not the most economically benef icial action.

One logical and viable solution advanced to protect the environment and counteract the depletion of resources is the cir cular economy system. This ?make, use, return/recycle?economic model transcends the recycling model. It is not only about waste management but also about resource management.

The circular economy has the potential to create new green industries and jobs, reduce the dependence on impor ted raw materials, avoid environmental damage, lower pollution, reduce business costs, increase resource security, drive innovation and turn waste into prof it. This system provides new solutions and business oppor tunities that promote the eco-design of products, improves eff iciency, recycling, sharing and recover y.

Rather than waiting for products to be collected as in the recycle economy, this system emphasizes proper planning from the early design phase to extend the life of the product thereby limiting waste production. For example, designing products that can facilitate repair and maintenance and extend the life of consumer goods such as cellphones, washing machines and televisions.

Circular business models, products and processes can transform businesses into smar t, eff icient, forward-looking and zero-waste organisations. This means companies must evaluate their product design, material selection and manufacturing processes to ensure that the f inal products are reusable and waste can

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be re-engineered. Businesses must also review their standards and operations.

No single individual, company or institution can make the circular economy work. It requires coherent dialogue and interactions between various stakeholders across the value chain and ecosystems. While businesses have the power to influence consumer lifestyles and choices, individuals must become responsible consumers. A small change in our habits can have a tremendous impact.

Activities such as not using plastic straws, planting trees, using reusable and biodegradable shopping bags can make a big difference.

Governments and f inancial institutions also have a crucial role in transitioning to a circular economy. For example, Caribbean governments could take a regional standardized approach towards practicing the principles of a circular economy taking into consideration the metabolism of their local materials and perhaps develop a road map setting priorities for transformation across sectors. They need to revisit their strategies and regulations to move beyond legislative bans, recycling and solid waste management and offer incentives to attract businesses into the mainstream circular economy.

Financial institutions need to f ind solutions to suppor t their customers in the transition process, commit to growing their sustainable business por tfolio and integrating circular economy concepts into their own business and lead by example.

A change in our destructive lifestyles is paramount.

Adopting measures that reduce the exploitation of raw materials and the consumption of energy, water, mineral and other natural resources while implementing eco-technologies and recycling techniques is essential.

This requires a paradigm shift in how we ?rethink, redesign, repair, redistribute, reuse, recycle and recover energy?.

BUSINESS

Small-Craft Chocolate Makers Change Caribbean Cocoa Industry 28

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P

ump Street Chocolate? contributes to a model that integrates values at the core of business practices. This model is based on sustainability, branding, paying a fair commodity price and giving back to the communities. ?

Chris Brennan, founder and director of?Pump Street Chocolate, a Jamaican-born businessman living in the United Kingdom says small-craft (?bean to bar ?) chocolate-makers like himself have helped to liberalize the cocoa industry by insisting on good quality cocoa for their chocolate, paying reasonable prices for cocoa and cutting out the layers of middle-men in the industr y.

Pump Street Chocolate?s ?Bean to Bar ? and direct trade practice is based on a

shor t supply chain. The relatively shor t supply chain benef its both the growers and the consumers. Its success is built on good relationships with the chocolate consumer, chocolate maker and the farmer.

Chris knows that the chocolate bar he produces is as good as the quality of the cocoa he puts into it.? A great deal of care goes into crafting Pump Street chocolate bars. So, he makes sure that he knows where his cocoa is

Chris Brennan, Director of Pump Street Chocolate/ Pump Street Bakery

Pump Street Chocolate is about real chocolate made by hand, using traditional methods and all natural ingredients www.pumpstreetchocolate.com

grown and how it is har vested, processed and stored. He also informs his customers by distinctly labelling his chocolate according to the beans?farm of origin. Cocoa farmers from three Caribbean countries supply cocoa to Chris.

Considering that Chris is ver y par ticular about the quality of the ingredients that go into his premium chocolates which have won several excellence awards over the past four years, this is an achievement. These countries are Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. ?

Until eight to ten years ago, it was diff icult for a chocolate maker to tell you where, when and how their cacao beans were har vested and even meet the farmer. In Jamaica and Grenada,

the sale and expor t of cocoa were government-controlled while in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, cocoa was vir tually non-existent as an industr y.? In Jamaica and Grenada, different grades from various small farm holdings were consolidated, processed, stored and sold in bulk at relatively low prices. Due to the tenacity and foresight of a few individuals in those islands who saw the potential in cocoa and the need to produce good quality and traceable cocoa, a new inclusive growth model was developed in the cocoa industr y.? The model is a good one!

Pump Street Chocolate contributes to this model which integrates values at the core of business practices. It is a model based on cocoa sustainability, traceability, fair and equitable

treatment of farmers including paying a fair commodity price and equitable labour practices, safeguarding the environment and giving back to the communities they operate in.

By insisting on good quality cocoa for his chocolate, branding his chocolates by farm, paying reasonable prices for cacao and cutting out brokers whose primar y interest lie in selling volumes of cocoa, Chris has contributed to generating employment and developing a thriving and sustainable cocoa industr y in the Caribbean. His chocolate also raises the visibility of Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada as good quality cacao bean suppliers for premium chocolate-makers.

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Dan a Gilber t , Ch ief Oper at in g Of f icer Redcot

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SPONSORED EDITORIAL

Car ibbean Cor por ate Citizen Ser ies The following eight pages are a work of f iction and merely provide an example of how companies can demonstrate the impact of their corporate giving and collaboration with non-prof it organisations on the lives of people in publications like ApaNa. Names, characters, places, events, locales and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a f ictitious manner. Any resemblance to an actual company, persons, living or dead, actual events is purely coincidental.

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Apex's commitment to good corporate citizenship is evident both in and out of the workplace at all levels of the organization.

Social engagement has been a special part of our corporate culture since our company was founded in 2015.

Apex strives to be a Caribbean corporate leader, working with others to shape communities where individuals can thrive. We believe that by helping develop capabilities of people and the environment around them that we enable a world of endless opportunity.

Apex's social engagement encompasses its support for the volunteer work performed by its employees, corporate and brand engagement and disaster relief.

In these three areas, we attach importance to collaboration with our employees, customers and charitable organizations. We support projects in the areas of social needs, education and science, health, art and culture, and youth development.

Corporate Philant hropy Total number or projects supported: Number of people supported: Time off from work for employees on projects (days): Donations - financial and in-kind excluding time (US$)

2018 20 2,105 650

1,729,360

Apex Estates Impacting the livesof Caribbean people Apex's commitment to good corporate citizenship is evident both in and out of the workplace at all levels of the organization. Social engagement has been a special part of our corporate culture since our company was founded in 2015. Apex's social engagement builds on the active involvement of our employees. The dedication of our employees to assisting others in their free time continues to inspire us.

We are especially proud of our social engagement over the past year. In 2018, the volume of donations exceeded US$1.5 million. Forty percent are dedicated to the organisational development and projects of non-profit organisations. We also supported a total of 20 aid projects. In the coming year we want to focus on education and youth development in order to make a targeted contribution to social development.

While good citizenship and all that it entails can be a powerful tool in our communities, corporations cannot influence long lasting change alone. We believe the expertise to solve community problems lies in the local community. Apex is proud to partner with a number of non-profit and non-governmental organisations in the Caribbean that have this on-the-ground expertise, and here we spotlight a sampling of the good work that these organisations have accomplished.

Good corporate citizenship is a journey, not an end in itself. Just as we look for new and more innovative ways to improve our products and services and serve our customers, we are looking for new and more innovative ways to serve the communities in which we live and work. It's how we do business, and it is how we approach the world.

Michael Ross Chief Executive Officer

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DOMINICA

Giving to Live La Vivre Restaurant is often the last resor t for its patrons.

However, some might say it is actually a new beginning.

Janie is one of the working poor in Dominica. She earns $500 a month from her par t-time job which is far shor t of what she needs to feed her f ive children. Six months ago, in desperation, she decided to take her family for a proper meal. Her children were too hungry to go to school and she knew she had to do something or they will starve.

Swallowing her pride and not caring what her friends would say, she dressed her children and walked three miles to La Vivre.

"The f irst time, I went to La Vivre, I felt embarrassed. I felt like I had failed my children. I kept on thinking that, now, everyone will know how poor we are. But we found great comfor t there,'' Janie said.

Now, inspired by the kindness she experienced, Janie volunteers at La Vivre. "When you see others giving the gift of time, it motivates us to do our best to change our personal situations for the better.

Frances, another La Vivre client, agrees that that it was

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diff icult at the beginning. In fact, she recalled going there to ask for help and leaving before she could see someone.

The La Vivre team later went to her house to let her know that they are there to help. "I tell people that when you're hungr y, go to La Vivre. It is hard at f irst but they will help you".

La Vivre was established in St. Joseph as an anti-hunger organisation by Jason Peters, after completing 'A' Levels at the Dominica State College six years ago. La Vivre has since expanded to other parishes and its services now include infant suppor t centers, emergency housing and an after-school program.

Through a major grant from Apex, La Vivre was able to open and operate this after-school program at f ive youth centres in addition to its six La Vivre facilities. There, the La Vivre turns children's aimless and often unsupervised hours after school into productive learning time. Children and youth of all ages are taught new skills and provided a daily meal and other ser vices that are essential for young people and people living near the pover ty line.

Candy, a single mother with a full-time job, worried about

her two teenage sons and daughter being on their own after school. Since she enrolled them in the after-school program in Roseau she has seen an improvement in their social skills and feels more conf ident that they will not get involved in risky behaviour.

"I know where my children are when I am at work. I can relax and focus on my job. I know that they are being super vised and not wasting their time or getting into trouble. At La Vivre, I f ind I can count on the people there." she said.

Apex's Marketing Manager, Cindy Harry explains that the company's suppor t for the after-school program is an example of the company's philanthropic strategy, focusing on the fundamental needs of communities and people.

"Our philanthropic approach is not based on or driven by business need, " Harry said. "Rather, the goal is to give real help to the disadvantaged population living on the margins of Dominican society and to invest the resources in the exemplary La Vivre organization."

Jason Peters is grateful for Apex's suppor t. No doubt, Janie, Frances and Candy would agree. apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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GRENADA

Skills for Life

Michele Beatty and Tricia Allen relish their roles as President (Michele Beatty) and Vice President of Sales and Marketing (Tricia Allen) to the Belle Jewellery of Grenada. They are a new breed of young entrepreneurs. Upon leaving high school in 2017, they set up their own business and has won several awards including the award for Environmental Excellence presented at the Small Business Association's annual Business Awards.

Michele and Tricia took the step toward becoming businesswomen after completing the Youth Achieving Entrepreneurship Program managed by Youth Achieving Grenada. Founded in 2006, Youth Achieving Grenada offers work readiness and entrepreneurship programs to students in schools across the island. The Youth Achieving Entrepreneurship Program trains students on how to star t and operate a company.

As a core funding par tner, Apex has played an integral role in the success of the Youth Achieving Entrepreneurship Program in Grenada by providing f inancial suppor t in addition to

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mentoring by Apex?s employees who provides coaching and training in various business areas once a week at various schools around the island. ?The key to professional growth and advancement is a quality business education, and Apex is committed to broadening access to such in our schools. That commitment goes beyond simply f inancial contributions,? said Janine Bell, Apex?s Finance Off icer and Youth Achieving mentor. ?Apex's executives have served as corporate mentors working directly with school on a one-on-one basis.?

Apex's suppor t extends beyond school programs. A grant from Apex to Business Star t-Up, a nonprof it organisation, to launch a pilot a Business Star t-Up Program for women. Apex is aiding the professional development of young women from disadvantaged communities to develop a business plan, obtain seed capital, set up and operate small businesses ranging from jeweller y-making to catering.

create their own employment and ultimately employ others.

Apex?s involvement with the Business Star t-Up Program is just one example of the company?s suppor t of systemic and continuous improvement in the business education, concentrating on entrepreneurship, work readiness and leadership. ?Apex has served as an integral, active and thoughtful par tner to our organization,? said Thelma Irvin, Executive Director of the Business Star t-Up program. ?The company?s commitment to suppor t initiatives focused on improving the quality of life of young women and their families is an exemplar y model of corporate philanthropy and community involvement.?

Business Star t-up, is contributing to the reduction in unemployment in the Caribbean by providing young people with the skills and conf idence to star t their own business, apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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M anagem ent & Business Consult ing Services We speciailse in the standardization of business processes to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness

For more information, contact: Dr. Alison Gajadhar info@kma.consulting

kma.consulting

P O Box GM840 Castries, Saint Lucia

T. 758 450 0239

Cor por ate Social Responsibility (CSR), Philanthropy, Cause Marketing & Pur pose- Led Marketing What is the difference?

Cor por ate Social Responsibil ity (CSR) directly relates to a company's business model and its business practices. According to the World Business Council for Social Development, it is the continuing commitment of a business to behave ethically and contribute to sustainable development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. CSR extends beyond philanthropy to encompass sustainability effor ts, ethical behaviours and legal and economic responsibilities.

Cor por ate Philanthr opy is most often in the form of f inancial contributions, but can include time

and resources, to drive social change. It involves f inding long-term solutions to social and environmental problems such as pover ty, climate change and disaster relief. Many companies simply donate money to causes and may or may not place their brand on the cause and take credit for the resources offered.

Cause mar keting (also known as cause-related marketing or cause promotion) is def ined as the alignment of a for-prof it brand with a cause to unlock social and brand value. It tends to be campaignfocused and driven by corporate par tnerships (non-prof it and for-prof it organisations). Cause marketing programs can generate

consumer traff ic, sales, increased loyalty and motivate employees and other stakeholders.

Pur pose-l ed mar keting is embedded in the DNA of a brand. It is what a brand stands for. The brand has a vision which is strategically aligned to a socially grounded purpose. The brand?s employees, customers and par tners essentially become activists for its purpose. A true purpose-led brand will inevitably change the way it does business, even at the cost of prof it.

Philanthropy, cause marketing and purpose-led marketing can be a par t of a business?s CSR or good corporate citizenship effor ts or stand quite separately to CSR. apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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BUSINESS

Aligning Marketing Str ategy with Social Causes Cause marketing is an increasingly impor tant marketing tool for businesses

A

company?s brand and reputation influences customer perception and there is a growing link between social impact and f inancial performance.

Consequently, companies must take a more strategic approach to securing their bottom-line benef its by aligning their marketing goals with their social objectives to meet the growing demands of consumers, communities and society at-large.

According to the 2012 Edelman Good Purpose study, over 64% of global consumers believed that it was no longer enough for corporations to give money and that good causes must be integrated into their business operations.

Six years later, another study by Edelman (2018 Earned Brand study) revealed that the same percentage (64%) will buy or boycott a brand because of its position on a social or political issue. This shows that consumers are no longer buying based on their wallets but on their social values as well.

While businesses traditionally give back to society through various philanthropic activities that is often demand-driven and focused on building brand awareness, this is no longer suff icient. Consumers are demanding that businesses do more than give charitable donations, provide sponsorship, engage in employee volunteering and contribute to nonprof its. Consumers are also looking closely at how a

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business impacts society and our planet. They want to know what know what the business stands for and they are engaged in responsible business practices.

Businesses acknowledge that they can no longer suppor t social and environmental issues based on personal relationships and preferences of senior management or causes that are not associated with their core business products for fear of being perceived as self-ser ving. They are now under pressure to take a more strategic approach to corporate giving which is embedded in their corporate strategic and identity.

Cause marketing, also known as cause-related marketing is an effective marketing tool that provides a company with an appropriate tool to align marketing objectives with its social objectives. It suppor ts the company's objective to promote wor thy causes, positively impact society and the environment while increasing brand loyalty and sales.

Cause marketing, if conducted successfully, has the potential to bring a brand's purpose to life. Often called branded philanthropy, it is changing the game of corporate philanthropy.

Cause marketing is not the marketing of causes or marketing of non-prof its but integrates social issues into marketing, corporate communications, human resources

and community relations. Cause marketers have no qualms about extracting commercial value from a cause marketing program that is focused on creating positive social impact for the cause they suppor t.

As par t of its cause marketing strategy, a company will pick strategic areas of focus that f it its values; select social and environmental issues that suppor t its business goals; choose issues that are related to its products; suppor t issues that provide oppor tunities to meet its marketing objectives such as increased market share or building a brand identity and evaluate these issues based on social impact.

Cause marketing drives long-term corporate par tnerships with non-prof it organisations and increases par ticipation in campaigns that are branded. Some good examples include the Pampers and UNICEF?s 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign which has funded over 300 million tetanus vaccines globally since 2003; Rimmel and Cybersmile?s campaign against cyberbullying, ?I will not be deleted?; Women?s Aid and the The Body Shop raised awareness about domestic violence using a mint lip balm which had the slogan ?Stop Violence in the Home.?

To be effective, a cause marketing program must be clear about its purpose, how its social goals align with its purpose and, successfully communicates the results of initiatives to their stakeholders.

A well-conceived and successful cause marketing campaign has mutual benef its for all par ties. It can improve attitudes towards the company, increase sales and market share, strengthen brand positioning, enhance its corporate image, increase its ability to attract, motivate and retain employees, lower operating costs and increase its appeal to investors. Non-prof its, on the other hand, gain increased visibility and enhanced sustainability as a result of the injection of the company?s funds, in-kind contributions and other resources. In addition, the campaign may persuade people to get involved and donate their time and monetar y and non-monetary resources to the non-prof it par tner and the cause.

While cause marketing is becoming standard practice for many companies in developed countries, few Caribbean businesses have adopted this model primarily because they do not understand the concept and, how they can market their business and products while promoting and suppor ting social causes and non-prof it par tners. It is time that Caribbean businesses ? large, medium and small recognise that the game is changing and consumers?loyalty are shifting to sustainable brands due to their increasing awareness of social and environmental issues such as climate change. They must take a strategic approach to aligning their marketing strategy with social causes that mean a lot to their consumers and communities in order to fulf ill their business, f inancial, marketing and social goals. apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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How Small Businesses Can Think About Cor por ate Social Responsibility (CSR) When a company is deciding on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, one of its primary goals is to match issues and causes with the characteristics and values of its customer base. A small business' social involvement may require greater sensitivity in order to lower the risk of controversy, par ticularly if it does not have prior experience with CSR. The following are some examples of how a small business can get involved:

01 Cont ribute to Charit ies Look to your products and services to discover ways that suppor t issues and causes close to the hear ts of your customers. Consider prof it-based contributions that allocate a percentage of sales toward an organisation or charity. This helps draw attention to the cause because you can promote it as par t of sales process and offers an affordable way to make contributions.

You can also collect items for donations or making products for a cause.

02 Give Back t o You r Local Com m u n it y Fundraising and volunteer events are another way that small businesses can exercise social responsibility. Coordinated volunteer days or events that raise money for charities are a good way to harness publicity while making an effor t to better your community. Social responsibility doesn't have to take a bite out of a small business prof its.

03 Lower Your Carbon Foot print It may be impossible for small businesses to switch to 100% renewable energy or manufacture with 100% sustainable prof its. You can, however, make an effor t toward improving your carbon footprint by putting a plan in place to gradually implement more environmentally-friendly practices. Raising awareness on issues like recycling offers an oppor tunity to encourage and train employees to take a more proactive approach to protecting the environment. Companies can also provide incentives to encourage par ticipation in employees recycling programmes.

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ONE TO WATCH

Jean-Claude Cour nand Jean-Claude Cournand, a Chevening scholar and emerging social entrepreneur from Trinidad & Tobago, founded the USC Debating Society which has since evolved into The 2 Cents Movement.

The 2 Cents Movement is a Caribbean-based NGO that uses spoken word poetry to develop socially responsible youth. The organisation's vision is a world where young people are empowered to contribute their ideas and action for change, that is, to pitch in their '2 cents'. It employs eight persons full-time and coordinates outreach in 50 schools and two universities engaging over 40,000 youth in its programmes annually.

In 2018, Jean-Claude received the Queens Young Leader Award at Buckingham Place, London, England for his work with 2 Cents Movement.

The 2 Cents Movement was also awarded "Most Outstanding Youth Organisation" and "Most Effective Youth Programme" at the Trinidad and Tobago National Youth Awards in 2018.

Jean-Claude is also a co-founder/director of Gir l s Be Hear d Tr inidad and Tobago and serves as a Youth Outreach Manager for Bocas Lit Fest.

Jean-Claude recently completed an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh where he was par t of the Global Shapers Edinburgh Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum.

Jean-Calude Cournancd

DOING GOOD

Rescuing Food For a Social Cause

BY JEAN-CLAUDE COURNAND

It was a winter night in the Hague. Dinner was at 8 pm.

At 7:55pm, I arrived after peddling furiously to shatter the Caribbean stereotype of lateness. Triumphant, I locked my borrowed bike next to a wooden food car t and hurried inside.

An odd sign, ?Rescued Food: 604,302 kg? was the f irst thing I noticed. Next to it, there was a basket of ?imperfect? oranges; free to take. I grabbed one, made my way to the table, greeted my Dutch friends in their favorite Trini accent and settled in for business.

The waiter quickly arrived with the menu. Hungr y but still politely conversational, I asked about the sign at the entrance. The waiter smiled as he explained the unique value proposition of the restaurant.

Ever y day, the menu is created based on rescued ingredients. Surplus food, food with flaws or that didn?t meet strict quality requirements were saved from going in the bin and cooked here.

Exciting! Socially conscious! Yes! The food was delicious!

A shared consensus by eight of us millennials who dined, and 166 reviews on Trip Advisor. Of the 1,250

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restaurants in the Hague, this one, using rejected ingredients was ranked 47th.

In-Stock, a for-prof it business, opened its doors in 2016 with a social mission: To address food wastage. Today, there are three branches in the Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht. They also own a mobile food truck and a growing product line which includes a ?rescued food? cook-book, beer brewed from left over bread and four other offerings.

On the ride back, I asked my host Hester about other interesting eating places in the Hague. She recaps an experience of being served by a waiter with an occupational disability. Apparently, she was his f irst customer. The waiter was shy; his disability had previously excluded him from employment. He kindly took her request and returned to the counter to place it.

As he successfully completed his f irst order his coworkers surrounded him with hugs, high f ives and cheers in celebration. Her meal was long consumed, but she?d never forget that moment. Neither will I, even as a listener. Happy Tosti, creates a happy work space for persons with occupational disabilities. It has seven branches in Holland.

I hadn?t planned on visiting any social enterprises that night. I hadn?t even planned to be in Hague. But there I was, encountering the value of social enterprise f irst hand. It cer tainly was a privilege. Following seven years of non-governmental organisation (NGO) fundraising trauma, through the for tune of a Chevening scholarship, I left my home with a mission to discover ways to make social impact work sustainable. I was learning a thing or two.

Entrepreneurship is already a long word and adding ?social? in front of it makes it sound even more fancy but social entrepreneurship at its core consists of two main ideas. The f irst is a social mission. It should be clear and measurable. The second is the creation of a self-sustaining way of meeting that social mission. In other words, f igure out how to do the work without relying only on donations.

In-stock and Happi Tosti used a for-prof it restaurant model, but self-sustaining approaches to social impact programmes can be utilized whether running an NGO or executing an initiative in a government agency or large corporation. For example, a donor reliant NGO, can engage in social entrepreneurship on a specif ic programme that is self-sustaining. It is adaptable to

multiple organizational formats.

Some countries have the best Carnival in the world, others have the best ecosystems for social enterprise. In the latter, the US, Canada and UK are leading. In the UK, Scotland has a visionary 10 year (2016 ? 2026) National Social Enterprise Strategy. That?s why I?m studying there.

In the Caribbean, Jamaica is the capital for Social Entrepreneurship. The University of the West Indies Off ice of Social Entrepreneurship headed by Dr. K?adamawe K?nife, leads regional research in the f ield.

Jamaica also has the region?s f irst secondary school social enterprise programme, where teenage students experiment with developing their own social enterprise ideas.

My research interest was adapting social enterprise to the Caribbean and other small island developing states; however, there are many intriguing questions about social enterprise wor th considering. Can every organization have a self-sustaining model? Will social enterprises replace the donation model for NGO?s altogether? Is it a fad or is it representative of a new era in business? What are its implications for traditional for-prof it business?

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DOING GOOD

Joanne C. Hillhouse has published six books of fiction (The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight, Oh Gad!, Musical Youth, With Grace, and Lost!

ACaribbean Sea Adventure). Her creative writing has most recently been published in global anthology New Daughters of Africa.

Her writing has appeared in Essence, Huffington Post, Caribbean Beat, Writers?

Digest, etc. She has edited books, magazines, web content, and more, and has written for a wide variety of projects in the Caribbean and beyond.

Photo: Joanne C. Hillhouse Photo By: Emile Hill

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She freelances from Antigua and Barbuda as writer, editor, writing coach, and writing and communication course and workshop facilitator. jhohadli.wordpress.com

Finding My Cause through a Love of Reading and a Passion for Wr iting

BY JOANNE C. HILLHOUSE

My f irst time attending the Cushion Club, I sat with one girl reading a favourite book from my childhood.

I could have gone on for hours.

When I joined the Club, a reading club for children in Antigua and Barbuda, it had already been in existence for a few years and moved location a couple of times.

Around that same time, I was gearing up to launch my own community writing project ? the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize.

I became involved in two literary ar ts activities roughly around the same time but it was not by design. With the Cushion Club, I was looking for something to get involved with outside of work.

Wadadli Pen was more purposeful.

I was in Canada, a newly published author (The Boy from Willow Bend), at a 2003 literary luncheon where a Caribbean writer spoke of the lack of nurseries for

writers in the region. I reflected on my own writing sprouting from hard packed soil, undernourished, and launched the Wadadli Youth Pen Prize in 2004 to nur ture and showcase the literar y ar ts in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Cushion Club and Wadadli Pen are different projects that have intersected a few times over the years ? like when I held my f irst Wadadli Pen workshops at the Cushion Club meeting place or when we did a joint summer read challenge. Cushion Club sponsors a gift of books ever y year of the Wadadli Pen Challenge (Wadadli Pen?s main project, a writing and sometimes ar t competition for youths in Antigua and Barbuda). I may not be an active reader with the Cushion Club anymore but I still handle communication and PR, as I do for Wadadli Pen, of which I am also co-founder and coordinator.

Cushion Club continues to meet on Saturday mornings. It is about 20 years old now. With use of a

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DOING GOOD

Photo: Story telling with a volunteer at the Cushion Club

revolving door of volunteers, it creates a fun and educational reading space for children. The Club also extends its mission beyond its immediate community, for instance attending spelling bees, going on f ield trips including joint sessions with other children?s clubs, and, for several years, sponsoring a humanities prize to encourage achievement in ar ts and social science subjects among sixth graders at a selected primary school.

The Club is less a club and more of a space to which children of all ages and reading levels can come.

We?ve seen them grow ? one, now a university graduate has become a Club leader. That girl I read with my f irst week as a volunteer is now a teacher.

Continuity is what drives Wadadli Pen as well. It has, on one level, the mission of nur turing in a continuous way the next generation of writers from Antigua and Barbuda. But youth development is a parallel goal. ?Excited, elated and ecstatic are just a few of the words that could explain how he felt, by being able to share his story and be rewarded for his

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Photo: Standing proud with books at the Book of the Year Presentation

effor t,? one mother wrote after her son won the junior Challenge. Winning writers?names are emblazoned on to the Alstyne Allen Memorial plaque (named for one of its early volunteers, now deceased). This plaque is sponsored by and hangs in the Best of Books bookstore. Wadadli Pen through its various patrons ? solicited fresh each year ? incentivizes creative activity among young people and encourages schools and, one year, even teacher-writers to par ticipate. ?Wadadli pen opened the door to my creativity, it inspired me to let go of my fears and speak out, and most of all it helped me to channel all the energy I had by simply putting pen to paper giving something a narrative shape and in so doing I began to believe in the shape of my life again, in beginnings, and middles, and endings,? one past teen f inalist, now a young woman, has written.

And so, Wadadli Pen continues to become more than I imagined it could be. From the Challenge and

The Cushion Club

About Target: adults and children

The Cushion Club is a reading club for children in Antigua and Barbuda. Our reading programme is also open to adults.

The Cushion Club cultivates an appreciation for the literary ar ts among young Antiguans.

Focus: Literacy and youth development Relies on volunteers

The club suppor ts the Wadadli Pen Project an annual Summer Read Challenge which encourages Antiguans to read over the summer break with rewards for meeting specif ied goals.

Saturday mornings dedicated to reading to and with children at various locations Receives prize contributions from corporate sector for competitions

Photo: Wadadli Pen Challenge 2018 Winners with Joanne C.Hillhouse holding the Alstyne Allen Memorial plaque.

workshops to showcases of literary ar ts (including dramatized readings and radio distribution for broadcast of winning pieces, publication on local and regional platforms); our internship programme which began in 2017 with a past Wadadli Pen f inalist who is now a university student; and a book of the year initiative through which we were able to promote local publications and, thanks to our patrons, give close to $1,000 in books to a local school of the winning author ?s choice. We are working towards f irming up our foundation, so that we can build.

The largest Wadadli Pen project outside of the challenge is wadadlipen.wordpress.com - a literary hub and resource. ?The sheer volume of information here is highly useful and the effor t is commendable,? wrote one international blogger.

The Cushion Club welcomes books of all genres and volunteers.

Email: cushionclub@yahoo.com

Wadadl i Pen Pr oject Since 2004, the Wadadi Project has nur tured and showcased the literar y ar ts - and over time, the visual ar t - in Antigua and Barbuda. This has included the annual writing (and sometimes visual ar ts) challenge to encourage new writing, and writing especially reflecting who we are and new voices.

Individuals and businesses that we approach each year to pledge prizes to the Wadadli Pen Challenge. This changes annually.

Email: wadadlipen@gmail.com apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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DOING GOOD

Nonprofit Spotlight RISE (ST.LUCIA) INC RISE (St.Lucia) Inc. is a non-prof it organisation founded by Dr. Stephen King, Dr. Jacqueline Bird and Jonathan St.Rose in 2017.

RISE is dedicated to the healthy development of youth. It suppor ts agencies and individuals through advocacy, resource mobilization and suppor t of youth as their own community change agents.

R I S E

Respect, Reality Initiative, Industry Social Health, Service, Society Building Education, Enterprise, Empowerment

Photo: Safe Spaces: Bois Den Futsal Team

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Dr.Stephen King, Director & Co-founder, RISE Inc. Photo Credit : Star Publishing Ltd.

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Inter view with Dr. Stephen King Director & Co- founder, RISE (St. Lucia) Inc.

We had the oppor tunity to sit down with Dr Stephen King, dir ector of RI SE (St. Lucia) I nc. to discuss his views on youth, his jour ney as a philanthr opist , the devel opment of RI SE and its initiatives that pr ovide a voice to St. Lucia's youth. He tal ks about his chal l enges and the successes of RI SE over the last twelve year s. He highl ights var ious initiatives that RI SE has under taken including most r ecently, the Safe Spaces Pr ogr am for youth - a pr ogr am that he bel ieves can be r epl icated in other Car ibbean countr ies.

regards to disease, mental health issues and anti-social behaviour. So we are trying to create communities and households that minimise adverse child experiences by eliminating domestic violence, emotional, sexual and physical abuse. In addition, a lot of communities have weak safety nets. They do not have access to resources and services so there is a lack of knowledge in areas such as how to star t a business, access to f inance, available jobs and skills needed. So it is no wonder that marginalized communities become more marginalized.

Dr.King's per spective exempl if ies the passion, dedication and per sever ance of a businessman and philanthr opist giving back to his countr y for over a decade and stil l going str ong.

When youth are disengaged, hopeless and helpless, there is a problem. We wanted to address that in a pro-social way. We are actually closing a circle on what I'd call 'holistic development' of a par ticularly young person you have engaged.

What was the inspir ation and motivation behind the founding of RI SE?

How has RI SE evolved over the year s?

We have a youth problem in St.Lucia which often stems from adverse child experiences with

RISE was the brainchild of three of us, Jonathan Andrew-Rose, Dr. Jacqueline Bird and apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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myself. It is anchored by Dr. Bird and myself.

It is very small but its strength is in its flexibility. It is project based so we will expand to achieve the goal of the project and once completed it will shrink then move on to another project. We have had over 200 volunteers working with us.

We have achieved a lot over the years. For example, we delivered and managed the Wor l d Pediatr ic Pr ogr am for f ive years.

Children gained access to sophisticated surgical care in the United States through this project. I am happy that the government recognised its impor tance and have since taken it over.

We have facilitated scholar ship pr ogr ams for university education in the United States. Fifty youth benef ited from this program over a four-year period.

We also designed a National Youth Ser vice Program including legislation and policy with the suppor t of the UK government. I believe that the National Youth Service will suppor t mandator y positive productive engagement among our youth. It helps youth who are otherwise disengaged from any formal system to gain employment, education, training etc.

We have not been able to convince the government to do it yet but I am hoping that through our Safe Space Pr ogr am it will happen.

What is the Safe Space Pr ogr am?

Peace and safety in our communities is being threatened due to an increase is crime and violence. RISE designed the Safe Space

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RISE - Safe Spaces Futsal March in Castries, St.Lucia (top left), Safe Spaces - Agard Girls Futsal Team (top right), Dr. King interacting with children at Safe Spaces Futsal Tournament (bottom)

NONPROFI T SPOTL I GHT 2019

program because we wanted a more sustainable approach to improving the quality of people's lives.

Safe Space creates a coherent structure to deliver knowledge and mobilize communities.

In the past year, we have implemented two areas of the Safe Space project in Ciceron, Castries which we hope to replicate in other communities and make it a national program. They are mediation skills development for students and a parenting program.

Safe Space is a generic model that can work in any country and I hope people will take it onboard and copy it. We don't mind sharing our model and improving it.

How ar e you using spor ts to help the youth?

We are using Futsal, an initiative which par t of the Safe Space Program to mobilize communities.

This is not just a football competition in the f ield in terms of goals, but every team has to develop a community action plan that they will deliver in their communities. We are hoping to create capacity within the communities to manage their own problems and f ind their own solutions.

On August 1, we launched the annual Futsal Competition as a football league association. This competition runs for six months of the year from August 1 (Emancipation Day) to February 22 (St. Lucia's Independence Day). We have mobilized apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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Photo: The Boulevard Girls Plus Futsal Team

thir ty-one football teams, seven of which are female teams.

What ar e the biggest chal l enges you face? What is the har dest par t about l eading a non-pr of it or ganisation such as RI SE? The biggest challenge is the emotional and spiritual frustration when you feel like giving up because it is like you are hitting your head against a brick wall. But we, at RISE, remind ourselves of our successes and draw strength through those successes.

Finding time is another challenge as those of us who are holding the organisation together are very busy running our own businesses and our personal lives.

Also, the general environment of the countr y and communities are another challenge. I f ind it

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distressing when I remember this country f ifty years ago. Back then, it was poorer but richer. It was poorer materially but much richer from an emotional and connected point of view. The safety nets were much stronger in those days. Now, more people are left on their own, which is a far more self ish approach.

Paint for moment a pictur e of the or ganisation's position as you woul d wish it to be in f ive year s' time?

This has been a topic of discussion between Dr. Bird and myself. We would like to see RISE as a sustainable, powerful and more engaged organisation. I would love for young people , young leaders to take over RISE. I hope RISE could be a vehicle that the youth embraces. We need the youth and the youth need us!

I nter ventions Picturesqueview with a glimpse of GrosPiton, ThePitonsin Soufriére, St. Lucia

Photography by Michele-Lauren Hackshaw Instagram: michelelaurenn

SAFE SPACE Rise (St. Lucia) Inc.

DR. JACQUELINE BIRD

CICERON COMMUNITY PROJECT - SAFE SPACE

CO-FOUNDER, RISE

I nspir ational Moment There is a single mother of three in Ciceron. One of them is a young hyperactive and unruly boy. She would shout and beat him to try and get him to behave. She was was very stressed when she f irst attended the parenting classes where we train parents in positive discipline. We discuss how to use love, encouragement and empowering words with children rather than the negative. We tell parents do not use physical violence at all but use hugs, kisses instead. A few weeks later she said, 'You know, I star ted doing what we spoke about in the positive disciplining session and it is working."

The young boy is behaving so much better now and the mother and son have a more loving relationship.

DR. STEPHEN KING CO-FOUNDER, RISE A young man, incarcerated at St.Lucia's Bordelais Correctional Facility, attended one of our programs at the prison. He found it inspirational and when he was released, immersed himself in running and coaching. He is now St. Lucia's primer long-distance runner.

He said that the program 'opened his eyes to life skills, built his self-esteem and showed him how he could take charge of himself and exploit his gifts'.

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Since 2018, RISE has been implementing components of the Safe Spaces Project in Ciceron, a hotspot community in the quar ter of Castries.

Mediation Skil l s Devel opment in School s RISE has been developing the mediation skills of two students in every classroom at the Ciceron Secondary School. The trained students are responsible for resolving conflicts at the student level. They have since formed The Rising Leaders Club.

Par enting Pr ogr am The parenting program was star ted to tackle adverse child experiences. RISE trains parents on how to bring up their children in a nur turing and loving environment which is free from abuse and violence.

The Mothers' Union of the Anglican Church trained the facilitators for the parenting program.

Skil l s Tr aining There is a predominance of unskilled single mothers in Ciceron. The National Education Learning Unit (NELU) of the Ministry of Education conducts income-generating skills training classes with them.

Sponsor s and Par tner s While RISE appreciates the suppor t of all those who have come on board, it acknowledges that there is a need for more sponsors. The corporate sponsors of Safe Space at Ciceron include the Bank of Saint Lucia, Blue Waters and the St. Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC). Sponsorship and community suppor t may be channelled through RISE or directly to the communities.

PROGRAM INTERVENTIONS BUILDING PARENTING, POSITIVE DISCIPLE AND LIFE SKILLS -

Community parenting programmes School parenting programmes

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Community life skills programmes

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School life skills as par t of curriculum

VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY -

Early conflict resolution and mediation

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Early response to violent incidents

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT -

Access to knowledge through community resource centers - access points

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Community education

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Spor ts

Photo: Dr. Stephen King speaking at t he Fut sal launch

INCOME GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES -

Entrepreneurship training and f inance

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Employment databases and agency function

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Employment specif ic training

PEACE NEGOTIATION AND MAINTENANCE THROUGH COMMUNITY LEADER ENGAGEMENT PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Peace and safety in every community is being threatened due to the steady increase in crime and violence.

The r oot causes of anti-social behaviour include: -

Adverse childhood experiences

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Negative socialization reinforced by systemic forces - schools, media, law enforcement and the community environment

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Mixed income housing

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Recreation spaces

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Division and disconnection of communities

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Physical safe spaces

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Unemployment

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Weak social safety nets

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Poor physical environment

HIGH QUALITY STEAMS EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION STEAMS - Science, Technology, Engineering, Ar ts, Mathematics, Spor ts

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Cor por ate Par tner ships 5 things a non-pr of it can do to attr act cor por ate par tner s What does a company want in its non-prof it par tner? That is a fundamental question when it comes to fundraising and marketing. Research indicates that companies want to align themselves with par tners whose brands f it with theirs. They want to show impact with stories and quantif iable data to their stakeholders and know that they positively impacting the non-prof it's mission. Companies also value their employee's engagement as it provides a good story for the them to tell. Based on these insights, the following are some tips for nonprof it organisations wishing to attract and retain corporate par tners.

1. Have a St rong Brand Clearly communicate the reason for your existence, what you do and how you do it. You should not try to be broad and cater to every company's or every person's needs. This is not how strong brands are made and how corporate par tners are attracted.

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2. Show Impact Do your best to track impact. This is impor tant to your corporate par tner. Note that this could look different for your corporate par tner than it does for you. For example, they may want to know how many hours their employees volunteered or the number of projects they suppor ted f inancially. In addition to statistics and data, you must provide inspirational personal stories of impact.

3. Engage Employees Create programs, oppor tunities and strategies that can be used by corporate par tners to engage their employees. Volunteer days, events to sponsor and attend campaigns and fundraising challenges are just three ways that can make it easy for the company to say 'yes' and activate their staff.

4. Work Locally If you are a local organisation, or based locally in a country or community, identify local companies, branches and divisions. They often control their own budget, projects and par tnerships.

5. Know Your Corporate Part ner Know what the company wants. Do some research, ask the employees about the company or try to get an informational interview to get more information. The more you know about their needs, the better you can position your organisation to be a great par tner for them. apanamagazine.com / DECEMBER

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Junior Achievement JA Biztown Jamaica Since 2014, JA Biztown has transfor med how 50,000+ pr imar y school students combine business management and f inancial literacy lear ning with hands-exper ience in Jamaica 64

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Photo: Caribbean Broilers Group Foods, Jamaica

JA Biztown Model Town Junior Achievement (JA) Biztown in Jamaica is historic as it is the f irst of its kind outside the United States. For one day, Grade 5 students become adults and run an entire town built just for them.

They operate banks, manage restaurants, elect a mayor and so much more in this model town.

Students apply for a job at one of the 11 business facilities in the town. When hired, they take up employment at companies such as First Global Bank, EY, Jamaica Public Ser vice Company Limited (JPS), Caribbean Broilers Group, Flow, GB Energy, Drink Real Milk and FedEx for one day.

JA Biztown Pr ogr am JA Biztown is based on hands-on, experiential Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based curriculum. Primary students in over 400 primar y schools across Jamaica learn about business management, f inancial literacy, how money flows through an economy and work readiness. They are also taught critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creatively which are core concepts in the National Primary Exit Prof ile (PEP) examinations - the Jamaican high-school entrance test.

Teachers, trained JA Biztown staff members, deliver the curriculum over 4-6 weeks in the classroom which culminates in a visit to the JA Biztown facility for their business simulation.

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Photo: Flow, Jamaica

Inter view with Alphie Mullings- Aiken President Junior Achievement Jamaica

Junior Achievement ( JA) Jamaica, a chapter of JA Wor l dwide, is dedicated to educating students in the ar eas of entr epr eneur ship, f inancial l iter acy and wor k r eadiness thr ough exper iential and hands-on l ear ning.

Ever since oper ations began in 2008, the cor por ate sector has been an integr al par t of JA's devel opment. Gener al El ectr ic, CI BC Fir stCar ibbean, Tr elawny Chamber of Commer ce and JA Wor l dwide suppor ted the pil ot pr ogr am impl emented at the Wil l iam Knibb Memor ial High School in Tr elawny wher e 500 students par ticipated in JA Success Skil l s and JA Car eer s With A Pur pose .

JA Jamaica continued to gr ow, and by 2014, it launched JA Biztown, a mul ti-mil l ion dol lar model business town facil ity in Caenwood, St.Andr ew. This histor ic event was only made possibl e thr ough str ong l ocal and inter national al l iances and par tner ships with the pr ivate sector, the Rotar y Club, the United States Agency for Aid (USAI D) and the Gover nment of Jamaica. The JA Biztown and JA Company pr ogr ams ar e now par t of the school cur r icula in Jamaica.

Alphie Mul l ings-Aiken establ ished the JA chapter in

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Photo: First Global Bank,Jamaica

Jamaica when she r etur ned home fr om the United States.

Alphie, the f ir st Pr esident of JA Jamaica is known for her dr ive and commitment to the youth devel opment. She was instr umental in setting up JA Biztown against the odds.

ApaNa Magazine discusses her r ol e, par tner ing, volunteer ing, JA Biztown as the evolution and futur e of JA Jamacia Tel l us about Junior Achievement.

Junior Achievement is an international non-prof it organisations operating in over 115 countries. We inspire and prepare young people to succeed in our global economy.

Globally, we have 400,000 private sector volunteers to help us reach 12 million students each year.

How has Junior Achievement Jamaica evolved since its founding in ter ms of r esour ces, r each, and r esul ts?

Alphie Mullings-Aiken President , JA Jamaica

Junior Achievement began as an after-school program.

Today, we reach over 30,000 students in 347 schools and run eight programs, two of which are now par t of the school curricula. All grade f ive and nine students now take JA Biztown and JA Company or Entrepreneur programmes

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respectively. For me, this is a major success as students are embracing entrepreneurship as a core subject area and they will have the experience of running a business and building on the entrepreneurial mindset.

The pr ogr am - JA Biztown. How does it wor k and what makes it unique?

Grade 5 students par ticipate in class-room learning for six weeks in school and then they come to our facility and learn to run a business for a day. We have about twelve different companies at Biztown and they get to run all of them. They could apply to anyone ranging from a chief executive off icer to a marketing representative to a guard or customer service agent.

They work in a hotel, newspaper, bank etc. They may conduct interviews at our TV studio or radio station or publish a newspaper. Biztown money (fake money) is used - they get paid for the work they are doing. This unique experience is a great way for them to connect all that they have learned into a business.

Descr ibe the inspir ation and motivation behind the founding of JA Biztown. When did you f ir st have the idea of setting up JA Biztown?

I had volunteered for JA for thir teen years in New York and Connecticut with my employer prior to moving back to Jamaica. When we made the decision to star t JA in Jamaica, I went to JA's US headquar ters for training.

It was there that I learnt about Biztown. I remember saying, 'Oh, I want that for Jamaica". They told me that I should not think about it for the f irst ten years as it is ver y expensive to set up. That same year, I pitched the idea to the now Prime Minister of Jamaica when he was the Minister of Education. Well, happily, f ive years later, actually, JA Biztown was launched.

The inspiration behind Biztown comes from one thing: a different type of enhanced learning experience for students, so they can see and appreciate work, and understand the benef its of getting paid and positively play a role in their nation's growth.

How did you r aise the capital to buil d JA Biztown?

Even before we star ted Junior Achievement in Jamaica, we star ted pitching Biztown to the Minister of

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Education and senior staff. We were always looking for ways to implement it but we knew how expensive.

Allison Pier t, our board member from Ernst and Young, helped to champion the initial seed funding to build the facility. The Ministry of Education contributed the use of a building and land to construct additional buildings; all of which the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) outf itted. Private companies sponsored the store fronts and got Biztown running.

What kind of suppor t do you r eceive fr om cor por ate sponsor s?

At Biztown, different companies sponsor the program.

There are eleven 180-square foot stores surrounding a cour tyard. We lease the storefront to private companies.

These corporate sponsors outf it and brand the stores to replicate their storefronts so that they look real.

Sponsorship enables us to suppor t up to 10,000 students each year and the Ministry of Education suppor ts an additional 10,000 students. The use of funds include training teachers and a workbook for every child.

You r ely on volunteer s for your pr ogr ams. How do you attr act them?

We attract volunteers in a number of ways. For example, we have employees from our par tner organisations who volunteer their time. We also engage other individuals from the private sector. For Biztown, we ask schools to identify parents to accompany their children on the f ield trip to facility. We place them in a store (not the same as their child) to provide guidance and suppor t to the students.

As JA Jamaica continues to expand, paint for a moment a por tr ait of the or ganization's position -- as you wish it woul d be -- f ive year s down the r oad.

In f ive years, I see another JA Biztown on the nor th coast near Montego Bay so that more students can enjoy learning. I also see a f inancially sustainable organisation that is valued for the proven contribution being made to nation-building by all.

Photo: GB Energy, Jamaica

DOING GOOD

Junior Achievement Saint Lucia The Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide Programme is a non-profit yout h organisat ion founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail and Wint hrop M. Crane in t he United States. This organisat ion is now in over 161 count ries, impact ing over 10 million yout hs yearly, mainly t hrough t he support of volunteers.

In 1996, t he JA programme was established in St .Lucia as a project of t he of t he Chamber of Commerce as an Economic Literacy Programme, and t he government has endorsed t his programme from incept ion. Since t he implementat ion from 111 to 45,000 yout hs were impacted to date in just 23 years.

ApaNa held an interview wit h t he Execut ive Director of Junior Achievement , Agnella Joseph, where we discussed t he successes, challenges, growt h and how

Junior Achievement has impacted t he yout h of St .Lucia.

How has Junior Achievement evolved since its founding in ter ms of r esour ces, r each, and r esul ts? (How has it gr own or changed over time?)

Since we star ted 23 years ago, we have impacted 45,000 youths. The programme is implemented at no cost to the students and the schools, which makes it challenging. We depend on the suppor t of our corporate par tners, sponsors and volunteers. But seeking suppor t can be diff icult in St.Lucia, especially with the current environment. People want to be aligned with brands that can bring them additional exposure or boost their brand. We have also developed programmes to generate some revenue such as the Christian Husbands Agripeneurship Project.

Agnella Joseph, Executive Director, Junior Achievement St.Lucia

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We ar e l iving in an er a of change.

Howe does Junior Achievement embr ace the emer gence of new technol ogy and digitization in its pr ogr ams?

We are currently working with JA Worldwide to move away from paper to digital. Some materials and programmes are digitized but it is diff icult for some schools such as the Babonneau School to have uninterrupted online access due to the instability of the internet service and so we have to rever t to paper. That is one of the challenges I am facing right now.

You r ely on volunteer s to impl ement your pr ogr ams. For exampl e, tel l me about the JA Company Pr ogr am and how

these volunteer s suppor t its impl ementation?

Like I said, the programmes depend solely on our volunteers; strictly volunteering. There is no income to those who facilitate or teach the programmes. All that needs to be done is for the corporate sector to be signed up which acts a benef it to the team and needed to teach a JA class.

What ar e the biggest chal l enges your or ganisation faces with volunteer ing in St.Lucia? How do you over come them?

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formed to promote volunteerism in the country.

In my opinion, getting volunteers for our programs is not a major challenge for us. In 17 of the 21 secondary schools, teachers volunteer for our programmes.

However, there are some teacher volunteer who see it is as extra work in addition to teaching the school curriculum, par ticularly as there is no additional income. But majority of our teachers see the value in the JA programme and recognise that it relates to their school curriculum and are happy to work with the children after school.

Junior Achievement is managed by the St.Lucia Chamber of Commer ce with a sizabl e member ship. What ar e the benef its and chal l enges of being aff il iated with a pr ivate sector or ganisations?

We f ind that there is buy-in and suppor t for our programme among the Chamber members. 95% of our sponsorship are the chamber members.

Being par t of the Chamber has reduced our operating expenses signif icantly. This level of direct suppor t plus sponsorship has helped us remain sustainable and reach more youths.

Do you think that the cor por ate giving cul tur e in St.Lucia is str ong? I f yes, why? I f not, what do you think is needed?

No. The corporate giving culture in St.Lucia is not strong. Also, our private sector is small with limited resources and only a few companies provide suppor t to nonprof its. With so many nonprof its going after this limited pool of resources, it is diff icult. But, I think, if every organisation on the island were to provide some

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kind of suppor t, I don?t think we would have that challenge.

Ar e you actively l ooking for cor por ate sponsor s? What woul d you l ike to tel l them?

Dr. Thecla Fitz-Lewis presents Corinth Secondary School with the award for third place at the Company of the Year. (top left), JA students at the Company of the Year award-giving ceremony (top right), Babonneau Secondary School receives first prize at Company of the Year 2018 (bottom)

All the time! We need the suppor t to reach more young persons. I always tell my par tners, it?s not always just about the money. I?d love if they were to not only suppor t me f inancially but also through mentoring, just to add that value. It is about giving back to young persons and making a difference in their lives not through funds but that one on one session with them. We still need the f inancial suppor t, however little, we appreciate the amount given. It is well appreciated, documented and you receive that visibility through our newsletters and branding at all our activities.

Paint for a moment a por tr ait of the or ganisation's position as you wish it to be f ive year s down the r oad.

In f ive years or less, I would love to see JA in every classroom in all schools on the island. I want to know that every child in elementary school - the private or public school - have that JA experience and not just at one

grade level but all grades. So, in essence I would like to see the JA programme incorporated in the school curriculum.

Five years ago, the Ministry of Education signed a memorandum of Understanding with JA St. Lucia to implement JA in all grades in every school on the island. The Chief Education Off icer reviewed our curriculum and programme kits and endorsed them. The government wants every child in every school on island to par ticipate in JA but it does not have the f inancial resources to suppor t it so I am actively looking for sponsors right now.

Is ther e anything el se that you woul d l ike to highl ight?

Junior Achievement is celebration 100 years of existence internationally. As par t of the JA100 campaign we reached out to all alumni and launch our alumni network on September 26, 2019. Our f irst set of students led the network. We have has a good response so far which is inspiring. The fact is there are people out there who want to be par t of Junior Achievement.

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JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT ST.LUCIA

JA CHRI STI AN HUSBANDS AGRI PRENEURSHI P PROGRAM

The late Chr istian Husbands, known for his passion for agr iculture and dedication to youth, is honored.

It is tough to believe that St. Lucian businessman, Christian Husbands is no longer with us. As the chairman of Junior Achievement St. Lucia from 2010 until his death on June 10, 2017, Christian made his indelible mark on St.Lucian youth. Under his direction, Junior Achievement continued to expand to reach over 6,000 students in 15 secondary and 60 primary schools. In honour of Christian's dedication to agriculture, youth and economic development, Junior Achievement St. Lucia with their lead par tner, Union Vale Estate (subsidiar y of World's Finest Chocolates in the United States) designed and implemented the JA Chr istian Husbands Agr ipr eneur ship Pr ogr am (CHAP).

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Chr istian Husbands Christian Husbands was the Chairman of the Board of Junior Achievement St. Lucia from 2010 until his death on June 10, 2017. He was also the Manager of Union Vale Estate, St.Lucia, the lead partner for JA CHAPS Program

JA Chr istian Husbands Agr ipreneur ship Progr am (CHAP) Since its launch in September 2018, the Christian Husbands Agripreneurship Program (CHAP) has benef ited 60 students at three secondar y schools and one at-risk youth centre namely the Vieux For t Comprehensive Secondar y School, Castries Comprehensive Secondar y School, Entrepot Secondar y School, Choiseul Secondary School and the Upton Garden Girls Centre. By Januar y 2019, students established their agricultural-based businesses which they operated until winding down in April 2019.

youth and inform youth on how to star t an agribusiness and the oppor tunities that exist within the agricultural sector. It focuses on agripreneurship, developing lifelong skills through experiential learning that enhances students' employability and business acumen. CHAPS incorporates the JA curriculum of the JA Company Program, JA Career Success and JA Job Shadow Day. Every year, the program culminates in a CHAP competition among par ticipating schools.

At the end, they held an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where all the heads of depar tments repor ted on the company's performance.

Each CHAP company, consisting of f ifteen students, develops an agricultural-based product or ser vice. They are required to perform various business functions such as electing directors, holding executive meetings, marketing and sales, procurement, farming, production, land preparation (depending on product selection).

PARTNERSHIPS

WHAT IS CHAP? CHAP is an agriculture- based program designed to empower

CHAPS is implemented with its lead par tner, Union Vale Estate, Renwick and Company, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the suppor t of the St.Lucia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They provide technical and f inancial suppor t to the program.

Union Vale Estate is a subsidiary of the World's Finest®Chocolate Inc., a chocolate company based in Chicago, Illinois. WFC is a three-generation owned family-owned business since 1908.

It is now a market leader in chocolate fundraising raising over $4 billion in 2017. As a board

member of Junior Achievement Chicago for the past f ifteen years, the World's Finest Chocolate founder, Mr. Ed. Opler Snr, took a personal interest in JA St.Lucia and this initiative.

VOLUNTEERS Volunteers play a critical role in the successful implementation of CHAP. They function as real-life role models for students who would other wise have little interaction or communication with business executives. Volunteer consultants from the local business community including senior executives, middle managers and line staff from Union Vale Estates, Renwick and Company and other collaborating par tners form the core group of volunteers for the program. They assist in the delivery of the program at schools, share their experiences and testimonies with the students.

After 100 years, JA programs continue to teach skills that prove invaluable to young people in higher education, employment and business.

A BIT OF HISTORY PHOTO: From left to right Samantha Augustin -JA volunteer; Ms Pauline Wolff- JA Director; Mr Nathaniel Husbands Director Union Vale Estate; Mr Edmond Opler- CEO World Finest Chocolates; Agnella Joseph, JA Executive Director; Terry George - Managing Director Union Vale Estate; Dr Charmaine Gardner ?irector, Union Vale Estate.

Union Vale Estate in Soufriere, St.Lucia is one of three de-merged adjoining estates that formed the "Union of the Estates of the Valley" in 1880. A part of the area, known as Fond Gens Libre which means "Valley of the Free People" was used by black freedom fighters as a secure haven during the slave rebellion of 1748.

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Obesity Pr evention Public Opinion Sur vey Jamaica The Hear t Foundation Jamaica is currently conducting an Obesity Prevention Campaign in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, aimed at raising public awareness and dialogue on the dangers of excessive sugar consumption and its links to obesity and non-communicable diseases. It is advocating the imposition of a sugary drink tax to discourage sugar y drinks consumption.

The following Obesity Prevention Public Opinion Survey for Jamaica was published a par t of the media campaign. It shows that: -

79% of all deaths in Jamaica are caused by non-communicable diseases (World Health Organisation)

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51.7% of Jamaicans were overweight/obese (Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey (2008) Over 72% would suppor t government action to discourage the consumption of sugar y drinks and unhealthy foods.

Approximately 64% suppor ted a tax on sugary drinks.

Almost 80% of Jamaican parents of children under 16 were concerned about the effects of sugary drinks on their children?s health More than 60% of Jamaicans were concerned about the effects of sugar y drinks on their own health More than 61% of parents were either concerned or extremely concerned about their child?s access to sugar y drinks at school

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Caribbean Nonprofit Profiles NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS OPERATING IN THE CARIBBEAN Social Ar eas: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Human Rights Social Development Good Governance, Accountability, Transparency Strengthening Civil Society Environmental Sustainability Strengthening Multi-sectorality

Countr ies of Oper ation: 1.

2.

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4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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Antigua and Barbuda Barbados Dominica Grenada Guyana Jamaica St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St.Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago

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Non-prof it Index Achievement Lear ning Centr e

Junior Achievement Jamaica

GEOGRAPHY: Dominica

GEOGRAPHY: Jamaica

MISSION: To educate citizens about the marine and terrestrial environments and their interrelationship and the consequences of those actions on the environment

MISSION: To inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.

EMAIL: achieve074@gmail.com

EMAIL: contactus@jajamaica.org WEBSITE: jajamaica.org/

Easter n Car ibbean Al l iance for Diver sity and Equal ity (ECADE)

Junior Achievement St.Lucia

Camp Aquar ius/ The Aquar ius Char ity

GEOGRAPHY: St.Lucia/Regional

GEOGRAPHY: St. Lucia

GEOGRAPHY: Barbados

MISSION: To strengthen regional capacity for the security and full recognition of human rights.

MISSION: To educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives

MISSION: To educate citizens about the marine and terrestrial environments and their interrelationship and the consequences of those actions on the environment EMAIL: phil.lashley@icloud.com WEBSITE: www.aquariuswatersports.com

Car ibbean Mentor ship I nstitute GEOGRAPHY: Barbados/Regional MISSION: To promote youth and children rights within the Caribbean region. To provide mentoring programs for Caribbean youths.

EMAIL: info4ecade@gmail.com EMAIL: jaslu@candw.lc WEBSITE: www.ecequality.org WEBSITE: st.luciachamber.org/junior-achievement

Family Awar eness Consciousness Together ness (FACT) GEOGRAPHY: Guyana MISSION: To serve socially disadvantaged families and communities through the provision of health care and educational services, while fostering partnerships and engaging policymakers to achieve exceptional quality of life for all.

GEOGRAPHY: Trinidad & Tobago

EMAIL: factgroup@yahoo.com

EMAIL: info@jaott.org

EMAIL: caribbeanmentors@gmail.com Website: www.caribbeanmentor.org

WEBSITE: www.jaott.org

EMAIL: cushionclub@yahoo.com

MISSION: To promote a healthy lifestyle leading to the prevention of cardiovascular disease through health education and health promotion and, by offering accessible and affordable screening services in a professional and welcoming environment

WEBSITE: www.jhohadli.wordpress.com

EMAIL: fundmgr@heartfoundationja.org

GEOGRAPHY: Antigua and Barbuda MISSION: A reading club for children

WEBSITE: www.heartfoundationja.org

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MISSION: To educate citizens about the marine and terrestrial environments and their interrelationship and the consequences of those actions on the environment

Hear t Foundation Jamaica GEOGRAPHY: Jamaica

Cushion Club (The)

Junior Achievement Tr inidad & Tobago

Mamatoto Resour ce and Bir th Centr e Geography: Trinidad & Tobago Mission: To provide a safe, respectful and natural childbirth experience for every woman.

Email: hr.mamatoto@gmail.com Website: http://mamatoto.net/

National Musl im Women's Or ganisation of Tr inidad & Tobago

Tobago Youth Council

GEOGRAPAHY: Trinidad & Tobago

MISSION: To be dynamic, recognized and respected independent body capable of being the collective and articulate voice of Tobago youth.

MISSION: To improve spiritually, educationally, socially and culturally while striving to be charitable to the poor and needy in our communities.

GEOGRAPHY: Trinidad and Tobago

EMAIL: youthcounciltobago@gmail.com

EMAIL: nmwott2000@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.nationalmuslimwomentt.org

Vibr ant Faith Ministr ies GEOGRAPHY: Antigua & Barbuda

Or ganisation for Abused and Batter ed I ndividual s (O.A.B.I ) GEOGRAPHY: St.Vincent & the Grenadines/Trinidad & Tobago MISSION: To use advocacy, education, participatory approaches and technology for prevention and elimination of gender-based violence and all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls EMAIL: shernabenjamin@oabivoices.org WEBSITE: www.oabivoices.org

RISE (St .Lucia) Inc. GEOGRAPHY: St.Lucia MISSION: To design and implement youth-driven programmes that allow for personal plan development and execution and that recognise the diverse needs of young people and provide the opportunity for all youth, regardless of circumstance, to participate and benefit from these programmes such that every young person can be supported in their pursuit of a successful life EMAIL: rise.saintlucia@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.risestlucia.com

MISSION: To create an eco-friendly environment which will facilitate: 1. The restoration and holistic development of individuals 2. The preservation of the health and historic contributions of the region's golden pioneers (the elderly) 3. The strengthening and building of Caribbean families 4. The preparation of the next generation to function as leaders of integrity in a globalized world, from a strong value-based Caribbean identity.

EMAIL: margaret.mcl@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.heartfoundationja.org

Wadadl i Youth Pen Pr ize GEOGRAPHY: Antigua and Barbuda MISSION: To nurture and showcase the arts especially literary arts EMAIL: wadadlipen@gmail.com WEBSITE: wadadlipen.wordpress.com

Charitable Foundations

ANSA Mc AL Foundation

Digicel Jamaica Foundation

SECTORS: Education, Sports, Youth, Culture, Environment

SECTORS: Education, Community Development, Special Needs

MISSION: To address the social needs in the community.

MISSION: We aim to mobilize and distribute resources across Jamaican communities to improve education at the early childhood and primary school levels, increase access and opportunities for persons with special needs and stimulate entrepreneurial activity

EMAIL: anscafe@ansamcal.com WEBSITE: ansamcal.com/about-us/social

Cabl e and Wir el ess Char itabl e Foundation

EMAIL: DigicelFoundationJA@digicelgroup.com WEBSITE: www.digicelfoundation.org

GEOGRAPHY: Community, Disaster Relief, Education PURPOSE: We educate and empower individuals in the communities we serve.

EMAIL: wendy.mcdonald@cwc.com WEBSITE: www.cwc.com/live/corporate-responsib

Chr istophe Har bour Foundation SECTORS: Youth, Culture, Health and Wellness, Environment, Social Development MISSION: To foster community outreach projects in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

EMAIL: info@christopheharbour.com WEBSITE: www.christopheharbour.com/about/

Digicel Foundation Tr inidad & Tobago SECTORS: Community Development, Special Needs MISSION: Committed to making a positive impact in the following areas: Special Needs - Increasing the quality and quantity of facilities serving the special needs communities, increasing the awareness around special needs issues, supporting disabled organisations in endeavours that seek to empower, motivate ans assist the disabled in their accomplishments. Community Development - Encouraging community self-reliance and empowerment through the implementation of sustainable projects that build life skills or generate income for community members.

EMAIL: digicelfoundationtt@digicelgroup.com WEBSITE: www.digicelfoundation.org

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ECGC Foundation (The)

LUCELEC Tr ust Company I nc.

SECTORS: Education, Health, Community

SECTORS: Health, Education, Sports, Community

FOCUS: The foundation seeks to create/enhance opportunities for the education, healthcare and welfare of needy and vulnerable children and adults within the Vincentian society and the OECS.

PURPOSE: To provide financial assistance or purchase items and/or property to aid any legitimate non-political entity within the following categories: religious, charitable, medical, educational institution, sporting body, fund of a public character approved by Cabinet and the Loan Fund established under the Further Education (Loan Fund) Act.

EMAIL: ecgcfoundation@ecgcsvg.com WEBSITE: ecgcsvg.com/foundation/

Sandal s Foundation

EMAIL: rjoseph@lucelec.com

Fir stCar ibbean I nter national ComTr ust Foundation

WEBSITE: lucelec.com/content/about-lucelec-trust

SECTORS: Health & Wellness, Youth, Education, Community, Environment

Massy Foundation

MISSION: Committed to ensure that vital funding reaches important causes, which contribute to the social health of the Caribbean

SECTORS: Environment, Health & Wellness, Youth, Education, Sports

EMAIL: intercomms@cibcficib.com

PURPOSE: A group inspired by a purpose: A Force for Good, Creating Value, Transforming Life

WEBSITE: www.cibc.com/fcib

EMAIL: info@massygroup.com WEBSITE: www.massygroup.com/Community

SECTORS: Education, Community, Environment MISSION: We are committed to investments that create a positive and sustainable impact on our communities and surroundings EMAIL: foundation@grp.sandals.com WEBSITE: sandalsfoundation.org/

The Mar ia Hol der Memor ial Tr ust SECTORS: Poverty alleviation, healthcare incentives, education and training, culture and arts, emergency relief/disaster relief

Sagicor Foundation SECTORS: Education, Health VISION: To be a great company committed to improving the lives of the people in the communities in which we operate.

MISSION: To contribute to the alleviation of poverty and to improve the quality of life of vulnerable people, particularly in Barbados EMAIL: cheron.martindaletindale@mariahm.bb

EMAIL: infoja@sagicor.com WEBSITE: www.sagicor.com/en-JM

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SEE WHAT YOU WANT TOSEE VIRTUAL GALLERY OF ANONYMOUS CATALOGUE 2017 - 2019

AMANDA-JANE TANIC PAIN TIN GS Email: amandatanic@gmail.com