GRIT Project Completes Regional Rollout Across Six Caribbean Nations
The Caribbean Export Development Agency has completed the full regional activation of the Caribbean Women Entrepreneurs Generating Resilient and Inclusive Trade (GRIT) Project, following the successful activation of the programme across its final three countries — Jamaica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — in a succession of activations throughout April 2026. Funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, GRIT is a four-year, US$3 million initiative running from 2025 to 2028. With the completion of these final three country activations, the programme is now fully operational across all six participating nations: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The programme directly supports 800 women entrepreneurs across the region, with a further reach of 10,000 through training and capacity building opportunities, market intelligence, and network access. It targets women-led enterprises in fresh produce, agro-processing, artisan goods, renewable energy, eco-tourism, and digital services — with particular focus on women-owned businesses that are youth-led, rural-based, indigenous-owned, or led by women with disabilities. A Region-Wide Milestone The implementation of the GRIT programme was initiated in 2025 in Saint Lucia, before activating in Dominica and Belize. The final wave of activations — Jamaica (April 13–17), Grenada (April 21–24), and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (April 27 – May 1) — brought initial sensitisation and consultative phases training to completion in a concentrated country-focused push that underscored both the momentum and ambition of the programme. Dr. Damie Sinanan, Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency, described the full regional rollout as a defining moment for inclusive trade in the Caribbean: “GRIT is not simply a training programme. It is a structural investment in the women who are already driving Caribbean economies forward, and in building the ecosystem they need to scale into regional and global markets. Completing all six country activations is a milestone we are proud of — and it marks the beginning of the real work ahead.” Jamaica: Culture, Community and Enterprise The GRIT Jamaica activation (April 13–17, 2026) was distinguished by its deliberate reach into rural and indigenous communities. The national launch took place at Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, a location chosen intentionally to signal GRIT’s commitment to entrepreneurs beyond urban centres. The event opened with a blessing from Kasike Kalaan Kaiman and Kasikeiani Ronalda of the Kasike Yamaye Guani Council, Taino People, a moment that set a powerful cultural tone. The launch featured a fireside chat — Rooted in Culture, Leading the Future — with Queen Mother Tamica Taylor, Minister of Security, Accompong Town Maroons; Lacey-Ann Bartley, CEO of Bartley’s All in Wood; and Antoinette Davis, CEO of Ettenio. His Excellency Mark Berman, High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica and The Bahamas, was among the dignitaries in attendance. Addressing the gathering, the High Commissioner spoke directly to the programme’s rationale: “Canada firmly believes in inclusive trade, where the benefits and opportunities of trade are shared equitably among all members of society.” He went on to outline what that means in practice — that “trade, when designed to be inclusive, can be a powerful catalyst for development,” but only when entrepreneurs have real access to skills, finance, information, markets, and networks. GRIT, he noted, is designed to build exactly those pathways. The week extended well beyond the launch itself, with enterprise visits to Bartley’s All in Wood, a fair-trade woodcraft enterprise built on a legacy of craftsmanship, and the Source Farm Foundation, a regenerative organic farm and ecovillage in St. Thomas. The team also travelled to Accompong Town, engaging directly with Maroon community leaders and women entrepreneurs. |
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