Long-term Resilience Building in Dominica

On 18 September 2018, Hurricane Maria hit Dominica as a category 5 storm with winds of up to 160 mph, and the second major hurricane to hit the region in just a few weeks. As a result of the storm, 90% of buildings lost their roofs, leaving roads and businesses devastated.

With over 30 fatalities and the island’s entire infrastructure – homes, agriculture, electricity, and water supplies – destroyed, IsraAID arrived to conduct initial assessments and deliver vital relief goods including hygiene kits, water filters, generators as well as urgent medical and psychological support.

Since then, the island has struggled to recover due to a death in meaningful income opportunities, scant infrastructure and insufficient electricity supply.

Next weekend, IsraAID Dominica will be hosting a hackathon to encourage local youth involvement in creating livelihood programs. 60% of Dominica’s population is made up of youth, many of whom lack upward mobility opportunities, especially in rural parts of the island.

The hackathon will partner local youth from south eastern Dominica, among the most vulnerable regions, with local business people to kickstart ideas for improving income opportunities and outreach into communities. The winning ideas will receive seed funding to jumpstart their business!

In partnership with UNICEF, local civil society organizations, and the Ministry of Education of Dominica, IsraAID has been working with all 73 schools on the island, as well as early childhood centers and special needs schools, to ensure that all children and teachers are safe and prepared for future emergencies. The national Safe School program provides emergency kits, teacher trainings, educational materials and will also include school and national emergency drills, all with a child-centered approach.

As part of this program, IsraAID staff packed 25 emergency kits, 16 of which will distributed to schools in the Roseau area this week, and the rest in other regions in the coming weeks. These kits include fire extinguishers, water filters, hand sanitizer, flashlights, helmets, rope, duct tape, and other items that could be life-saving in an emergency. Studies show that communities with plans in place preceding a crisis are better able to bounce back afterwards.

The team also undertook Water, Sanitation and Hygiene assessments in almost half of the schools on the island. Based on these needs, IsraAID’s specialists will create and implement a program to ensure safe water access for students.

Thank you for your ongoing support of these programs!

Today, GlobalGiving are matching all donations to our Hurricane Maria Recovery programs.

One year after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on the islands of Puerto Rico and Dominica, IsraAID's teams are still there, working closely with communities as they recover from the hurricane's devastation and rebuild for the future.

This year, your money will go twice as far. The link to donate can be found below.  

IsraAID in Puerto Rico: the story so far

IsraAID’s emergency response team touched down in Puerto Rico in September 2017, only a few days after Hurricane Maria made landfall. The NGO has had a team on the island ever since, providing WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) solutions, emergency medical care, and mental health support. During the initial emergency response phase, IsraAID distributed water filters for 6,000 people in six remote communities, operated six mobile medical clinics, treating hundreds of people from some of Puerto Rico’s most deprived communities in nine different areas, provided direct mental health support in six shelters, and trained the staff of two hospitals in using expressive arts techniques to respond to trauma. 

Since the initial emergency response phase, IsraAID’s team on-the-ground has focused on developing long-term programs to help accompany Puerto Ricans on the journey towards recovery and a sustainable future.

In October 2018, IsraAID and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico will complete construction of a new gravitational sand water filtration system in Barrio Real, a small, rural community, which is not served by the island’s water system. After Hurricane Maria destroyed the community’s main water source, Barrio Real’s residents were left with no access to safe water. It took seven days for bottled water to reach the remote mountain village, during which time only unsafe river water was available. IsraAID distributed temporary household water filters in the initial weeks after the hurricane.

A year later, the residents of Barrio Real are still without a permanent, communal supply of safe water. The new filtration system does not require electricity, ensuring that it can continue to provide a sustainable source of safe water for future generations. Volunteers from San Juan’s Jewish community have been trained by IsraAID to provide door-to-door workshops on safe water and hygiene to the residents of Barrio Real, ensuring that the new water system will be fully utilized. Almost every currently occupied household has been reached.

The psychological and social effects of the hurricane are still being felt across the island. The recently announced increase in Maria’s death toll is a stark reminder of the disaster’s long-term impact. Since arriving in Puerto Rico, IsraAID’s team has utilized the organization’s long-held expertise in mental health and psychological support to strengthen the island’s capacity to cope with the crisis. As part of its long-term programming, IsraAID has partnered with ASPIRA, a local organization providing alternative schooling for 3,400 at-risk young people across the island. IsraAID’s psychosocial support specialists are training ASPIRA’s teachers in how to build their students’ resilience and provide post-trauma support as they recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria.

Yotam Polizer, IsraAID’s co-CEO, said:

“As we prepare to mark one year since Hurricane Maria, our team in Puerto Rico continues to respond to the storm’s devastating after-effects, from the many families still without safe water or electricity to the thousands in need of vital support as they process the trauma of losing homes and loved ones. At IsraAID, we are amazed every day by the strength, resilience and determination of the Puerto Rican communities we work with, and we are committed to supporting the island’s recovery for as long as we are needed.”

Thank you for your continued support, and please consider making a donation to support the recovery of communities in Puerto Rico and Dominica. CLICK THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM TO DONATE