Meet ECLOF Clients

Building Blocks

Client gender: Male       Location: Caribbean, Urban

Violence and unemployment has plagued the inner-city community of Olympic Gardens, Kingston in the Caribbean island of Jamaica. A local church’s community development programme works to create social cohesion, unearthing the hidden talents in individuals and providing viable employment opportunities. 

The local church, The New Testament Church of God, sponsors micro-

enterprise through the Miracle Tabernacle Foundation, one of its key programmes. Pastor John Hardy and the members of the church provide skills training and create jobs through entrepreneurial projects.

The church established a concrete block-making project to provide employment for some of the many unemployed young men in its men’s group.  The church approached ECLOF Jamaica for a loan of J$392,000 (approximately US$6,000) to purchase and install a machine for the manufacture of 18” x 6” vibrated concrete building blocks. The project is called the Life Builders Fellowship.

Since startup in March 2006, despite a nationwide cement shortage, the project has provided employment for four young men on a regular basis. The income from the project is very important to these men, providing money for their basic family needs, social services and for their children’s education. 

The crew is lead by Delroy Williams and Leroy Baker. At maximum production levels the crew can produce 1,000 building blocks per day, however they are currently constrained by cement availability. The block-making project has already begun to change the lives of the participants, as well as instilling a greater sense of hope within the heart of the community.

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