KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sterling Asset Management (SAM) has donated $500,000 to United Way of Jamaica to support farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods were disrupted by Hurricane Melissa, in a targeted intervention aimed at helping to restore stability within the agricultural sector.

The cheque was formally handed over at United Way’s office on February 4, in the presence of representatives from Sterling, United Way and its logistics partner, the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS).

Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at SAM, Michelle Valentine, said the company views the donation as part of a broader responsibility to support national recovery efforts.

“Hurricane Melissa reminded us just how vulnerable many livelihoods can be. The damage across several parishes, particularly within the farming community, was devastating. Recovery from an event like this takes partnership, commitment and sustained support,” she said.

“Through this donation, Sterling is honoured to work alongside the United Way of Jamaica because we believe that when we invest in communities, we strengthen the foundation of Jamaica itself,” Valentine continued.

Sterling’s donation will add to existing recovery funding being mobilised to assist farmers in the form of agricultural inputs, housing-related support, resources to restart production, and the replacement of fishing equipment and safety gear to help those in the fishing sector return to work.

The intervention will focus primarily on parishes that bore the brunt of the hurricane, including St James, Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover, Manchester, and sections of Trelawny. Many of the targeted communities are difficult to access, making coordinated distribution and local knowledge critical to the programme’s success.

In that regard, JAS as a logistic partner is crucial, United Way of Jamaica’s Chief Executive Officer, Kerry-Lee Lynch, explained.

“We have worked with JAS on previous disaster interventions, and their parish-level network allows us to reach farmers and fishers who might otherwise be overlooked,” Lynch said.

Meanwhile, JAS Chief Executive Officer, Derron Grant, said assessments conducted after the hurricane revealed that housing damage and loss of productive capacity were among the most pressing concerns for farmers.

“Many farmers needed shelter repairs before they could even think about planting again,” Grant said. “Others required seeds, fertiliser and tools. For fishers, the priority was replacing lost equipment so they could return to work.”

Beneficiaries of the donation were identified through structured assessments, cross-checked with local branch records and entered into a central database.

As part of United Way’s accountability system, distribution will be documented, and post-intervention monitoring will be conducted to track outcomes over time.

Lynch thanked Sterling for its timely donation and the decision to channel it to a much-needed sector.

She said, “On behalf of United Way, I want to say thank you. A lot of farmers didn’t just lose their livelihoods; they lost hope. And it is through donations such as these that we are able to restore something in them. So, thank you so much.”