I had the incredible honour of speaking at the United Nations about my Family Business and SDGs. Today on International Women’s Day, I want to share my story. In 2012, my business, The Family Garden, won a two hundred-thousand-pound grant from the IDB GVEP Ideas Competition. We built 17,000 sq ft of solar-powered hydroponics systems in a low-income community with gang violence, supporting 13 SDGs. Sadly, due to missing SDGs, the business became unsustainable. However, we educated young women in chemistry, biology, administration, sales, agricultural techniques, and business, providing employment and empowerment for these women who needed a second income or were single mothers and included People with Disabilities. IDB called the project scalable and a model for success in any community. “Describing the family garden as ‘a successful business model that will continue to develop and give much needed opportunity to other Caribbean communities. However, in 2015 The family garden was closed due to domestic violence, lack of family justice and gender inequalities in the home. IMF says, peace is a necessary precondition for trade, sustained economic growth, and prosperity. So without the SDGs 16, 3, and 10, how can a family business sustain economic growth?
I continued to try and create similar agribusinesses for charity organizations, but seeing the same results with the home which ended in lack of support for the business. With my training in social service work, I saw the missing puzzle piece, and The Family Civility Institute was born.
What is family civility? It’s when a community creates an equitable, supportive, and civil environment that ensures everyone is empowered to thrive no matter their race, income level, religion, sexuality, disability, formation, or biological connection. Not one family left behind. The family civility approach training program is a 360 solution that targets existing community support workers, training to heal before helping. Creating peace in the home for economic development and prosperity. Just like a successful family business can contribute to 2030 SDG goals, the establishment of the goals can contribute to the family business being successful and sustainable. Leaving not one family or business behind. hashtag#familycivilitydayhashtag#sdgshashtag#unitednationshashtag#internationalwomensday2024hashtag#investinwomenhashtag#domesticabuseawarenesshashtag#notonefamilyleftbehind
Empower Families, Build Sustainable Nations and recognizes leaders who encourage, promote, and create a universal design for Family civility.