Bajan Dream Project; from classroom blueprint to housing and poverty relief NGO.

The Bajan Dream Project evolved out of an idea that was first tabled in a classroom at the Caribbean Institute of Media & Communication at the University of the West Indies Mona.

The project followed a long line of more than a decade's worth of similar development communication projects undertaken by students at the Institute, and is one of the first ever to be implemented in Barbados.

Originally slated as an "Extreme Makeover" of sorts for Barbadian homes, the Bajan Dream Project underwent a number of changes to ensure that it catered to the more pressing concerns of poverty and human rights among disadvantaged individuals in Barbados.

The project stands firmly in the belief that adequate shelter, protection from the elements, security and comfortable living conditions are the rights of all humans, and that the cycle of poverty requires a sustained and deliberate intervention if it is to be reversed - a hand up, rather than a handout - to empower the poor to escape poverty. To this end, the project brings together the funding and sponsorship of corporate and wider Barbados, along with the assistance of governmental agencies to begin the process of relief for these individuals' living conditions, and their state of poverty. The project will also be a lobby group, a 'shop steward' representing the needs and agitating for the rights of the poor.

The Bajan Dream Project seeks only to give others the chance to live a dream that many of us take for granted; the chance to wake up in a home that poses no threat to health and safety, a home with easy access to sanitation facilities, water and other basic amenities, and the ability to create a sustainable livelihood for themselves to escape the shackles of debilitating poverty.

Today, the Bajan Dream Project goes beyond just a university project. Its concept is now being taken one step further, and is now a fully operational nongovernmental organization in Barbados.

There is a place for all Barbadians in the Bajan Dream Project, whether you are a student, businessman or retiree, and we hope that you are convinced that this project is worth your attention. Please use the links to the left for even more information and Frequently Asked Questions about the Bajan Dream Project.