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OmarA moment with
Sweeney

“To be a part of the solution is the only way
to solve a problem”

“I am driven by problem-solving,” said Omar Sweeney, JSIF’s Managing
Director. “In essence, I want to be a part of the solution.”

His words resonate the fact that the organization he heads, has been
instrumental in changing the social landscape of Jamaica, in many ways.
These interventions have gone a long way in developing human capital,

which is critical to the growth and development of any country.

In Jamaica, its estimated that most of the poverty is in rural areas. “It
is about building social capital,” he said, adding that the ROI (return on
investment), is not in the numbers. “It is a social investment for the

greater good,” Sweeney said. “It is the bridge to developing human
capital.”

“We do educational projects primarily dealing with early-childhood,
primary education and supporting improved outcomes and
achievement for students in those institutions at this early stage.
“After working on alleviating the causes of poverty for 20years, we
have heard a common cry to have a sustainable livelihood,” he said.

Accomplishing this task of building social capital, according to
Sweeney, has its own set of unique challenges.

Some of the challenges include:
• The definition of sustainability
• Mindset and behaviour of the people towards sustainable development
• A set of dysfunctional behaviours which keep people poor
• Involvement of the development bodies, NGOs, churches, PTAs and
management of the schools
• Development of human capital – a non-tangible resource
• Providing opportunities to build capacity
• Communities taking responsibilities for their actions

“We face certain challenges and there are some pertinent questions
that are to be addressed,” he informed. These challenges include a mix
of addressing perceptions across the board, building monetary capital,
and looking at innovative methodologies to address the said challenges.
“One of the significant challenges includes minimal capital support, after
completion” he said. “We don’t own any infrastructure, so community
ownership and involvement after the project is completed is essential.”

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