Growth & Jobs | Jamaican diaspora commits support for JKKF, craft artist

MEMBERS OF the Jamaican diaspora have committed their support to the Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation (JKKF) and small craft business JunlynArtz to help move their operations forward.

JKKF, a registered charity organisation helping to improve the lives of children diagnosed with kidney disease, and JunlynArtz, a handmade resin and lumber small craft business, were booth neighbours inside the 10th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference marketplace in June. Both booths were supported by the JN Group.

Founder of JKKF and paediatric nephrologist Dr Maolynne Miller said at the marketplace that they were able to connect with people from overseas and locally who are interested in volunteering with the foundation or to help in whatever way they can.

“There are no specifics at this point in time, but there are people wanting to invest in improving care, so we need to now look to see how. We have all their contact details and will be following up on those commitments,” she shared.

Pointing out the economic burden to care for children with kidney disease in Jamaica, Miller said the foundation is grateful for all the support it can get to help to care for kids with the illness. She explained that over the years, the foundation has partnered with other organisations to procure consumables and medication for patients, as well as provide hospitals that look after children with kidney disease with equipment to assist with their care. The foundation also has an education arm which deals with training and awareness around kidney disease.

“Our foundation started in 2012 and JN has been supporting us since 2013. They’ve been helping out whenever there is an acute need, and it was one of our volunteers who suggested that the conference would be a good opportunity for us to get overseas support, and JN was kind enough to give us the space,” she said.

For Junise Lynch, owner of JunlynArtz, the conference marketplace also opened doors for her small business, including to diaspora markets. The business sells handmade resin and local lumber craft items, an idea which Lynch said she was able to scale up with a JN Bank small business loan.

“The conference was a great experience, and I cannot be more thankful to JN for the opportunity to have been there. I am pushing my business for more visibility, because the idea is to grow,” she said.

Founded in 2017, JunlynArtz has one physical store inside the recently opened artisan village in Falmouth, Trelawny. The owner said she has plans to expand the business beyond the port. Currently, she stocks clocks, wall art, book markers, trinket boxes, trinket dishes, bottle openers, key rings, bracelets and magnets.

“I love what I do. I am not creating the wheel, it is something that has been done before. But I took it and added my twist to it, using local lumber and resources such as sand and coffee beans; so it is just taking one concept and making it into mine,” she said.

“I want to be serving the tourism industry through my business. I want to be one of the artisans that is in every gift shop across the island. From the conference I made connections with persons in the diaspora that were saying, ‘Hey, get your stuff in the agencies that can ship your things overseas.’ They are receiving it well because it’s like taking back a piece of home, because everything is local. That is the aim, and I am getting it done, slowly but surely,” she added.

Petal Hall, JN Group sales executive, said the group was pleased to have been able to support the Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation and JunLynArtz at the conference marketplace and provide them with an avenue to expand their networks.

“Our services at the JN Group extend beyond financing, and our support here demonstrates our commitment to development. We want to see our people thrive and have access to the services that will support their growth. This conference provided a grand opportunity for these businesses to expand to diaspora markets and attract investors, and the engagement will help them bolster their operations and grow,” she said.