Blue Mountains Maroon Communities Ecotourism Support

Young people in geographically isolated Maroon communities groups composed of the descendants of escaped enslaved peoples in the John and Blue Crow Mountains of Jamaica have limited access to employment.

Young Maroon people are often forced to leave their communities in search of income-generating opportunities to support themselves and their families.

At the IAF we support community-led approaches to expand economic opportunity and promote economic inclusion among historically excluded groups.

Our grantee partner the Jamaica Conservation and Development Trust (JCDT) will work with seven Maroon communities to develop a community tourism network and support sustainable livelihoods for young people.

JCDT will train community members to strengthen business practices and provide seed funding to improve existing community-based services for tourists.