Diaspora delegates to boost Hurricane Melissa-hit craft vendors in Montego Bay

Visitors participating in the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference are being invited to put spending power behind small Jamaican businesses through an outreach activity added to this year's agenda.

On Wednesday, June 17, delegates are scheduled to travel to the Montego Bay Craft Market in St. James, where they will purchase goods from vendors who were affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Dr. Sylvanus Thompson, who chairs the Jamaica Diaspora Day of Service and Empowerment Subcommittee, told JIS News that the stop marks a fresh feature in the conference's community engagement programme. He said transport will be arranged from the Convention Centre so attendees can get to the market and give direct support to local enterprises.

According to Dr. Thompson, organisers chose the Montego Bay Craft Market because of its role in the area economy and because traders there continue to deal with hurricane-related losses.

The activity is included in the broader Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, which is aimed at building stronger links between Jamaicans overseas and those at home while encouraging investment, cooperation and national growth.

The 11th staging of the conference is set for Montego Bay, St. James, from June 14 to 18. It will be held under the theme: "Diaspora Partnerships: Re-Building a more Resilient Jamaica".