Strengthen Jamaica
One Community at a Time
Ackee Seed
Jamaica has always created from necessity. Its music, its art, its culture, they didn’t emerge from abundance. They emerged from resilience. Creativity here is not decoration. It is a way of life, a way of moving through obstacles, finding meaning in difficulty, and building something worth holding onto when everything else feels uncertain.
In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, the people of rural Jamaica relied on exactly that. To get by. To uplift themselves. To find comfort in the possibility of a better tomorrow. But the aftermath is still heavy. Thousands remain without sufficient shelter or livelihood. Schools and institutions are underequipped, still carrying the weight of trying to return to something like normal. There is the physical toll and mental toll of having to carry on in a new normal that nobody asked for. Rural communities, often overlooked and the hardest to reach, are still feeling the full weight of the storm. They receive the least help, and they need it the most.
This is where we come in.
We believe creativity offers something resources alone cannot. It uplifts spirits while things are being rebuilt. It grounds people in their culture and identity, generates resilient solutions, and inspires communities to keep going. It is both a means of survival and a path toward something better.
Ackee Seed Foundation is a Netherlands-based non-profit using creativity as a tool for social impact development in Jamaica and in the Netherlands. We raise funds through art, build bridges through culture, and direct resources toward the communities and partners on the ground who need it most. From Amsterdam to Trelawny, everything is connected.
That is the chain reaction we are building.
News & Updates
What We Do
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Community Development Support
We partner with civil society organisations, schools, and community groups in Jamaica that are already doing meaningful work on the ground. Rather than building parallel structures, we direct resources toward initiatives that communities themselves believe in, including areas such as education, youth development, food security, and community resilience. Every partnership is built on due diligence, trust, and a shared long-term commitment.
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Dutch-Jamaica Network
Ackee Seed Foundation actively bridges the Dutch community in Jamaica with Jamaicans and Dutch community members in the Netherlands. Through facilitated gatherings and ongoing dialogue, we create space for both communities to share knowledge, identify opportunities, and collaborate on initiatives that support Jamaica’s development.
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Annual Impact Exhibition
Each year, Ackee Seed Foundation hosts an art fundraiser that brings together artists, collectors, and the community in the Netherlands to raise funds for our work in Jamaica. More than a fundraising event, it is a cultural moment where creativity and social impact meet, and where Jamaica’s story reaches new audiences. As the programme grows, we aim to include the work of local and diaspora artists, making it a true celebration of Caribbean creative talent.
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Creative Engagements
We believe creativity is one of the most powerful ways to bring a community together. Through artist talks, exhibitions, workshops, and cultural programming, we engage the Jamaican and Caribbean diaspora in the Netherlands creating spaces where culture is celebrated, stories are shared, and people are moved to take part in something bigger than themselves.
Where it Began:
Art As Action
The Art of Returning Art Auction marked Ackee Seed Foundation's first public fundraiser in support of recovery and relief efforts in Jamaica.
“ Jamaica is an island full of potential. `Creative, cultural, and deeply resilient potential. However, lack of opportunity and resources has always held communities back. Being able to help change that, even in a small way, is something I am genuinely proud to be part of.”
David Boyd
Treasurer & Green Finance Expert
Who We’ve Worked With
We are building a growing network of partners, collaborators, and friends of Jamaica from diaspora organisations and cultural institutions to consulates and community groups.
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An Amsterdam-based non-profit dedicated to producing, programming, and promoting Caribbean and Caribbean-themed cinema across the Netherlands. With a mission rooted in amplifying Caribbean cultural expression, Caribbean Creativity is a natural creative ally for Ackee Seed’s work at the intersection of culture and community.
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A relief network established in response to Hurricane Melissa, bringing together the Jamaica Belgian Consulate, represented by Ambassador Diedre Mills, alongside businesses, members of the Jamaican diaspora, and friends of Jamaica across the Benelux region. United by a shared commitment to Jamaica’s recovery and development.
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Located in the Daniel Town District of Trelawny, Jamaica, Daniel Town Primary School holds a special place in the heart of Ackee Seed Foundation, it is the alma mater of our founder, Karla King. Affected by Hurricane Melissa, the school became one of our first and most meaningful partnerships. Our collaboration includes a financial donation, a creative programme with students, and a commitment to a long-term relationship built on trust, care, and shared investment in the community.
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A dual Jamaica-Netherlands national and independent development consultant with over 20 years of experience across the Caribbean. Jan specialises in programme evaluation, development communication, strategic planning, and humanitarian aid and has worked with organisations including Habitat for Humanity, Lutheran World Federation, and Norwegian Church Aid. He has been an invaluable advisor and connector for Ackee Seed’s work in Jamaica.
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Upcoming
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Among Creatives: Social Event
Cafe Stathe | July 16, 2026
Utrecht, NetherlandsA gathering for artists and creatives in Utrecht and surrounding area. Creative Talks is a space to exchange stories, ideas, and inspiration about what it really means to live as an artist, and to build a network of people who can genuinely grow, learn, and support each other.
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Dutch-Jamaica Meetup
Montego Bay, July 4 | Kingston, July 5, 2026
Two intimate gatherings bringing together the Dutch community in Jamaica and Jamaicans connected to the Netherlands. An open conversation about creativity, opportunity, and what becomes possible when these two communities move together.
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Art of Returning: Edition 2
Date TBD | Netherlands
Our annual art fundraiser returns. An evening of art, community, and purpose, where creativity in the Netherlands directly funds social development in Jamaica. More details coming soon.
How you can support
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Join our fundraisers in person
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