PM donates $1m to Mustard Seed

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has donated $1 million to the Mustard Seed Communities, which will go towards supporting various programmes operated by the charitable organisation. 

The funds came from the prime minister’s Positive Jamaica Foundation and were handed over to the founder of the Mustard Seed Communities, Father Gregory Ramkissoon while on a tour of the charity’s acre-and-a half property located in his West Central St Andrew constituency on December 28.

Holness, who is on his second visit to the facility, stopped at Roots FM radio station, observed the making of pottery and spent time with a few of the children. He also presented toys to the children.  

The prime minister explained that his visit was in recognition of the good work that the Mustard Seed Communities have been performing for decades.

“It is truly heart-warming to see the children that you take care of and of course, it tugs at everyone’s conscience that [we] should make the effort to do what you do. I want to say thanks to you and your team for the amazing work that you have done,” he said.

Additionally, he pointed out that he was on a fact-finding mission, to see the inner workings of social enterprises, with a view to implementing such policies to care for the marginalised of society.

“Social enterprise is something that we need to pay close attention to...We want to figure out how we support social enterprise, how we integrate persons with disabilities into the economy and what you are doing [at Mustard Seed] is very eye opening to us,” he said.

The Mustard Seed Communities are involved in ventures such as fish farming, egg production and pottery making.

Accompanying the prime minister on his mission were a number of members of parliament, including: Member of Parliament for North Eastern, St Catherine, Leslie Campbell; Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew Juliet Cuthbert Flynn and Member of Parliament for South Central, St Catherine Dr Andrew Wheatley.

Meanwhile, in his remarks Ramkissoon indicated that a number of initiatives are being undertaken by Mustard Seed, including the development of a Paralympics Centre at the Mustard Seed Communities Jacob’s Ladder location in St Ann.

On that same location, the Mustard Seed founder said the intention is to also build additional cottages to help members of the disabled communities, which the prime minister committed to supporting.  

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