Three beneficiaries selected based on their continuing impact in the communities in which they operate

Three local women business owners started the year in winning mode, courtesy of micro-financier, Access Financial Services (AFS), which has gifted them with $50,000 each.

Early childhood administrator Janice Martin; business operator Sharon Mitchell and grocery shop operator Rusheda Crawford, all customers of AFS, have been selected as recipients of the company’s customer appreciation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.

AFS Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hugh Campbell said the grants are in recognition of the tremendous work the women have been doing in their respective communities.

According to him, “all three women have a track record of service”.

He added: “They have not just been operating businesses, they have been providing essential services to the community. When you think about the many children that have passed through the doors of the Kidz-In-Paradise, which is run by Miss Martin or the support that Miss Crawford provided through her grocery shop during the pandemic, you can definitely see their impact.”

In her response, Martin declared: “This is such an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I cannot tell you how happy I am. It’s good to know that somebody remembers you. I’ve been a customer at Access for 17 years, shortly after I started my business, so we’ve been together a long time. The relationship has been good, but this is extra sweet.”

Entrepreneurial journey

Martin, who operates the Kidz-In-Paradise Nursery Pre-School off Windward Road in East Kingston, began her entrepreneurial journey in June 2004 with a summer camp for children. It expanded to a day care facility in 2005 and later morphed into her current business, which offers after-care and pre-school services for children up to four years old.

Crawford’s grocery and variety shop has been a staple in the Lionel Town community of Clarendon for seven years. Besides her bubbly personality, Crawford is known for her dependability and her willingness to give back to her customers.

She said: “It wasn’t easy, but we kept our doors open when many others were closed. The people depend on me and I depend on them. Every year I have customer appreciation to say thanks to my community for the support. It’s nice to know that Access recognised the effort and took the time to say thanks. I have never won anything, so it’s very exciting for me.”

Good experience with AFS

Business owner Sharon Mitchell has high praises for AFS, saying: “I’ve only had good experiences with Access since 2009. They make it easy to work with them. I’m so grateful for this added bonus.”

The women, who are served at different branches of the AFS network and are all in good standing with their loans, were selected based on their continuing impact in the communities in which they operate.  

The AFS acting CEO remarked that, “about 70 per cent of our business loan customers are women. We know the work they do, not just to sustain profitable businesses, but also to take care of their children and families. The team checked across our branches to find three of these outstanding entrepreneurs who are also doing a great job in their community, to give something back to them”.