We Are Sawyers Community!
Sawyers community is in the cockpit country and has an estimated population of Nine hundred and fifty-eight (958) persons. Farming is the main source of income of the community and 82% of the household heads are engaged in this practice.
The group started as a registered non-profit organization in the year 2016 because the community is known to be a biodiversity hotspot but was believed to be in danger of losing most of its natural vegetative cover as well as some of its endemic species such as flora and fauna because the removal of trees for yam sticks which are needed for planting, was continuous without any replanting, therefore, deforestation was a huge problem. Hence, community members decided to work together to solve this issue. With this group, we were able to apply for projects from different donors to fund sustainable livelihood activities that will increase the household income of community members and promote good agricultural practices to preserve the natural resources of our community and the surrounding communities.
Through these projects, we were able to conduct activities such as reforestation and agroforestry where we planted trees and crops such as scotch bonnet pepper, sweet potatoes, and pineapples and we’ve also established a 130 sq ft by 30 greenhouse that comprises of 900 Sweet pepper plants which are being used to create gourmet powdered seasoning. We were also able to establish an apiary of over 74 colonies of bees that we have harvested an amount of three 50-gallon drums of honey and sold to different vendors.
The group has also been actively involved in craft making, entrepreneurial skills training, and social responsibility where we have donated a water tank and care packages to members of the community and surrounding communities since the recent Coronavirus Pandemic. The Sawyers LFMCBS was featured in the Jamaica gleaner for outstanding work done as a group and as a community, we have also been awarded First place winner for the Local Economic Development Support Programme.
All our activities are linked to goals 3 & 4 of vision 2030 Jamaica which focuses on sustainable management and use of environmental natural resources, hazard reduction, and adaptation to climate change. These projects have benefitted more than 600 community members as we strive to make our community and environment better.