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!