Photo by JIS
Participants in the Nature Handmade Paper Project in Fairy Hill Portland producing paper products made from plant fibres mixed with recycled paper.

Aston G. Bailey, JIS Writer

Like many other communities in Jamaica, Fairy Hill in eastern Portland is affected by many social problems which prevent the area from realising its full potential for social and economic development.

However, one area where people are being empowered is through the operation of an enterprise called Natures Handmade Paper Project.

Proud of the skills

"It has been nine good years since we have been with this project and we are proud of the skill we have been able to acquire over that period," was the sentiment shared by Mable Beckford and Julia Smith.

According to the two, the experience has continued to be very rewarding.

The Natures Handmade Paper Project was established in 1987 by a group of enterprising women in the community. Its objectives include the administering of craft items for the purpose of increasing income, providing additional employment opportunities and generating improvement in the standard of living of the people in Fairy Hill and its environs. Located at the Fairy Hill Community Centre, the project engages in the designing and making of paper products from plant fibres and recycled paper.

Various products

Some of those products include greeting cards, envelopes, note pads and picture frames.

The plant fibres are obtained from discarded banana stems, and leaves and stems from breadfruit, avocado, almond, pandanus, bamboo and other plants.

The project is currently operated by the Fairy Hill Citizens Association and Neighbourhood Watch. Eleven employees make up the group with only one male among the lot.

Since 2007, the project has been receiving well-needed assistance from the the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) run Rural Enterprise Agriculture and Community Tourism (REACT) project.

That assistance has brought about the expansion of the Fairy Hill projects operations and allowed its members to acquire training in business development, intellectual property rights, product development and marketing and biodiversity awareness.

Hotel, tourists and local craft vendors are among the organisations and individuals forming the core market being supplied with the products.

Current manager of the project, Gloria Dorman, has been with the operation since its inception.

We started with 12 women and one man and we decided that whatever it took for this venture to succeed, we would do it. The skills being acquired by the persons who work on the project will serve them as sources of empowerment for life, she said.

She also remembers the invaluable assistance receivedfrom organisations such as the United States Peace Corps, the Social Development Commission and Partners of America to enable the organisation to remain viable.

Over the years, it has moved from high to low, but it has never ceased to operate. I am extremely pleased to see where we are now, compared to where we are coming from, said Dorman.

Supporting the project

In paying tribute to the various organisations currently providing support to the project, Dorman made special mention of USAID, the Mocking Bird Hill Hotel in Port Antonio and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC).

The employees of the project are also pleased to be associated with the enterprise and are highly appreciative of the skills they have acquired.

They pointed to the uniqueness of the service offered by the project as a source of pride and accomplishment for them.

Regardless of what happens in the future, the operators of the project are adamant that it should continue to grow and provide empowerment for the people of the community.

According to Lucille Palmer, president of the Fairy Hill Citizens Association and Neighbourhood Watch, a development plan for improving its impact in the community has been formulated and will be aggressively implemented.

The plan, she said, will ensure that the project grows into a successful business enterprise over the next five years, playing a vibrant role in the development of the community and its people.

Palmer is confident that once that level of strength is gained, the project will be able to become a major employer and a significant provider of skills training forpeople in the area. Residents of the community said they were confident that it would grow stronger and expressed appreciation for what they felt was the environmentally friendly nature of its operation.

This feature is a special collaboration between The Gleaner Company and the Jamaica Information Service.