What We Do

HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT GAP

The Development Gap was  co-founded by Monica Brown and Aleya Jobson in 2012 in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica. The organisation  registered the business name and engaged in collaborations with  parish Non –governmental Organisations such as the Manchester Parish Development Committee and Brooks Park  Sports and Recreational Complex.       In-depth  study of the Manchester Sustainable Development Plan (in line with the Vision 2030 plan of the island of Jamaica and the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN) helped to shape the establishment of the organization.

TDG commenced volunteer-recruitment and a volunteerism model to attract human resources that Jamaica loses tobrain drain. Many university graduates leave the island and therefore this model aimed to counteract this fact, similar to many other volunteer projects around the island. Our concept was about labour exchange without persons paying for the experience and expecting that we would find host families. This unpaid model was not sustainable and so we had to rethink the concept.

Various projects carried out in partnership with local governmental agencies and NGOs included consultancy with various civil society organizations, helping to create a website to help craftspeople of Manchester sell their sustainable goods online, similarly for farmers to deliver goods to people in the city to address dietary/lifestyle diseases around the island and alleviate the pressures of foreign good competition with local produce. Health fairs, rural tourism, industrial land restoration, beach clean ups, Green Business and other avenues were researched, piloted, or pursued in the aim of rejuvenating rural areas.

We compiled action-items and business models that might prove successful in a developing economy, in conjunction with input from Jamaica Business Development Corporation(JBDC).

Though well intended these collaborations and initiatives were not sustainable and as such the organisation did sporadic collaboration and projects but was never able to really get going as a functional organisation including a board and team members to adequately bring the ideas to life.

Over time, we found that it’s important to get the input of the beneficiaries and target population and what they want and not what we think would be good for them.  The new model of TDG seeks to includes stakeholders in the planning and execution of sustainable projects  which we think will increased the likelihood of success. Furthermore, the ability for individuals to self-manage  comes out of such projects, which is the goal of development and wealth creation.

In 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need  for sustainable consumption and production in even more pronounced ways. Food security and livelihood became a real issue as imports and exports were affected and persons were not able to respond with solutions for financial stability to become self-sustaining and develop community solutions. The pandemic allowed for the renewal of natural resources and person had free time to  come up with sustainable solutions at the community level as there were restrictions on movement due to curfews and quarantine. In July 2023 , TDG registered as an NGO as we saw the importance of providing opportunities for rural women and girls to create generational wealth while being environmental stewards to  leave a legacy for their children and grandchildren that go beyond the money but also the care and concern for environmental sustainability.