Mango Valley Visionaries offers lifeline
Published:Saturday | May 14, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Leon Pounall, Gleaner Writer
PORT MARIA, St Mary:
WITH VISION the people must flourish, has been the hallmark for success for Cinderella Anderson and Dehand Bentley Kelly, head honchos of Mango Valley Visionaries, an agro-processing plant in St Mary.
With vision and strategic planning they have launched their own line of food products; these include breadfruit, plantain, banana and cassava flour, mango, sorrel, and guava jams, guava cheese, mango chutney, otaheiti rum apple balls, grounded kola nuts, pimento seasoning and a variety of other products .
The Mango Valley Pride was formed against the background of a plethora of fruit items being given to pigs reared for domestic purposes, as well as a group of women age 35-55 in need of jobs or increased earnings. Anderson decided to do something about their plight.
"I love to read The Gleaner and I read that the Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) officer was coming to Port Maria at the RADA office. I went there seeking assistance and the officer was not there as yet," Anderson related.
Training
"However, the Social Development Commission (SDC) was around so I asked them to come. A young man by the name of Denton Carmen came along as an officer and Mrs Walker from Highgate St Mary came along to give us training in doing some of the products. RADA came along and we got technical advice and training in the area of preservations. We have developed our own line of products, we get bigger and better," a smiling Anderson remarked.
Mango Valley products are marketed through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, Productive Integration Micro Enterprise Jamaica, and Things Jamaica. The products are sold in the shops at airports and are exported. They are also sold to vegetarian stores, hotels, and a RADA outlet in Kingston. At present, Mango Valley is in the process of cementing a contract with Hi-Lo food stores starting at the branch in Port Maria.
One would think by running such a facility would require a part of the budget to be allocated to security, however this is not so. There are no surveillance and screening devices. "In fact, just months ago the door was drawn up, thinking it was closed,we headed home and the breeze blew the door right open and it slept open the entire night. When we came in the morning everything was intact. We are God blessed," Anderson remarked.
Anderson is not just a visionary but also a justice of the peace, pastor for the Mango Valley Shiloh Apostolic Church, president of the Mango Valley Red Cross Group and former coordinator for the HEART Trust/NTA in her community.
"This achievement is credited to God who gives me the strength and power to carry on day by day, as well as my family and colleagues who are behind me. If it weren't for them I just couldn't make it", Anderson said.
The facility currently employs 11 women who do all the food processing and embroidery which are sold in Ocho Rios. The three men assist in operating the facility that is solar powered and for which they have installed a 16 ft bio-digester. "I am currently waiting on the pigs so I can get the digester running; soon we will have gas for the plant and enough to sell," Anderson said as she gave The Gleaner a tour of the facility.
Partnering with Mango Valley Visionaries are the European Union and Private Sector Development Programme that have donated some of the equipment to the factory. Working alongside the agro-processing plant is Food For The Poor, which have have donated 18 houses in the community and a computer centre through the initiative of Anderson.
PHOTOs BY LEON POUNALL