By Cecelia Campbell Livingston
After meeting several women who encountered challenges such as teenage pregnancy and were still victims of gender-based violence, with many still in abusive relationships, Lanisia knew she wanted to change their situations.
That became the catalyst for the REAP Entrepreneurship and Capacity Building programmes, whose goal is to ensure the victims who remained in abusive relationships because they were dependent, had a route of escape by earning an income, whether through employment or their own businesses.
Expounding on the initiative, Rhoden explained, we therefore created a programme, starting with the REAP Basic, which provided psychosocial support to these women, followed by the REAP Capacity Building, where we provided training in the areas of mathematics, communications, and computer skills and assisted them to get jobs. We later recognised that all were unable to get jobs and some wanted to start their own businesses, and that’s when we launched the REAP Entrepreneurship Programme to provide entrepreneurship training and help those who were ready to acquire tools and materials to start their own businesses through seed funding.”
A very satisfied Rhoden said the programme, which was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives Grant (CFLI), has seen one success story after another. She recalled one lady who sold chocolate on the streets in Mandeville Market, who was able to get a job at a renowned haberdashery in Mandeville after completing three of their programmes.
Another success story surrounds a lady who runs an events and balloon garland business and was able to improve her business processes after getting additional equipment. She was able to increase her clientele based on the exposure she received from the REAP Women Entrepreneurship Project.
Although Rhoden has a lot of gratifying moments where the programmes are concerned, she shared that the ones that stand out the most for her are the times when the entrepreneurs shine.
“One of those moments was at our second REAP Entrepreneurship Conference and Closing Ceremony. We had over 150 people in the room and, to date, have reached another 10,000 people online and engaged government agencies and other companies that promote entrepreneurship in Jamaica and successful entrepreneur speakers from Jamaica, other Caribbean islands, and Canada,” she said.
“The entrepreneurs from the REAP Project were highlighted and awarded in a closing ceremony at the conference, and some of them displayed and sold their products to attendees from the REAP Entrepreneurship Village,” she stated.
Looking ahead, Rhoden assured that her ultimate goal is to scale the REAP Entrepreneurship and Capacity Building Programmes across the region and to territories where young women and men are in need of training and support to start their own businesses or access employment opportunities to be economically empowered and be able to take care of themselves and their families. She also hopes to connect them with successful entrepreneurs and business mentors who can provide tips and strategies for them to start or grow their businesses.
Born in Mandeville, Manchester, and a past student of Manchester High School, Rhoden holds a BSc with honours from the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTECH) in Food Service Management and an MSc in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship from the University of Manchester, Alliance Business School, England, as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.
She is passionate about youth, community development, and entrepreneurship and enjoys travelling, spending quality time with friends and family, and reading. She is a firm believer in God, to whom she credits all that she has been able to achieve.