Unleashing the
power of the
diaspora

Bussa was an African-born enslaved Barbadian. In 1816, he led a rebellion of thousands of slaves which sought to overthrow the brutal regime of plantation slavery on the island. Though the insurrection was defeated and Bussa was killed in battle, the uprising had lasting impacts. At the time, Bussa’s was the largest slave rebellion to take place in any of the British colonies, it inspired similar rebellions in the region, and helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.

For better or worse, what happens in Barbados tends to reverberate far and wide.

Barbados was the world’s first “slave society,” a society in which slavery is the foundational element upon which the economy, legal and political systems, and culture are built. The plantation slavery system was “perfected” in Barbados, and then exported throughout the Americas.

In 1816, led by a man named Bussa, thousands of Barbadian slaves revolted against this brutal regime. At the time, Bussa’s was the largest slave rebellion to take place in the British colonies, it inspired similar rebellions in the region, and helped pave the way for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.

Today, Barbados is a global leader for climate and economic justice. But vestiges of slavery and colonialism still loom large. Deeply entrenched inequality and concentration of wealth contribute to an over-reliance on tourism, under-investment in local food systems, vulnerability to climate disaster, and other challenges.

The Bussa Fund aims to support the countless Barbadians charting a different path, one marked by sustainability, resilience, and community wealth.

No! Our goal is for the Bussa Fund to be open to everyone.

Our goal is to formally launch at some point in 2027.

Yes!

You should! Every year, the Barbadian diaspora sends over $100 million to Barbados. These gifts are a critical lifeline to the island, but they have limitations.

• Instead of going towards initiatives that build generational wealth and economic self-sufficiency, almost all remittances go towards covering everyday expenses.
• Gifts sent home reduce the Barbadian diaspora’s ability to save, invest, and build generational wealth ourselves.
• Individual remittances are just that: individual. Rather than pooling our resources and achieving economies of scale, each family is left to fend for themselves.

The Bussa Fund aims to address these shortcomings by empowering the Barbadian diaspora to pool its resources and invest in projects that build a resilient, sustainable, and equitable Barbados.

Yes! Our hope is for the Bussa Fund to be the first of many Diaspora Funds. If you want to set up a Diaspora Fund for your community, please fill out the interest form.

• Sustainability means meeting today’s needs without using up what future generations will depend on
• Resilience means being able to recover quickly when hard times hit
• Community wealth means that the people who live and work in a place own more of what gets built there, so profits and decision-making power stay in the community

Yes. Investing in ways that are aligned with social and environmental values is called “impact investing.”

We’re still figuring out the model, but this is our best guess:

The Bussa Fund will collect and pool investments from individual and institutional investors in the United States. Then, we’ll lend that money to intermediary organizations in Barbados, who will lend the funds to end borrowers. Based on the terms of the loan, the end borrowers will repay the intermediaries, the intermediaries will repay the Bussa Fund, and the Bussa Fund will repay its investors.

Yes. Calvert Impact and Working Capital for Community Needs raise investment capital from individuals and institutional investors in the US, pool the funds, and lend to values-driven borrowers abroad.

With over 20 years of experience in the social impact and non-profit sectors, Anand Jahi (née Goodridge) has spent his career supporting working and middle class families build wealth by leveraging strategies that benefit the environment and broader community. As an independent consultant, Anand has advised philanthropic foundations, mission-driven businesses, community loan funds, and national non-profit organizations.

The descendant of Barbadian immigrants to the United States, Anand is passionate about building bridges between the island and the diaspora that are rooted in mutual benefit, respect, and justice.