Barbados — In the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria which significantly impacted the islands of the Caribbean in September 2017, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) launched the “CDEMA Legacy Project” to support the recovery and reconstruction efforts in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, British Virgin Islands (BVI), and Turks & Caicos Islands.
Emphasis is placed on assisting single, female-headed families, the elderly, and people with physical and mental challenges.
The project was launched in Antigua in April 2018 with a donation of US$50,000. This was done in partnership with the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), Antigua and Barbuda, through its Transitional Social Protection Programme.
Consequently, 270 displaced people from the island of Barbuda were provided with vouchers in the denominations of US$50, US$100 and US$250 dollars. The vouchers were used to purchase necessities such as food and hygiene products. Three suppliers, two in Antigua and one in Barbuda, were contracted to provide the supplies between May 1 and 24, 2018.
Director of NODS Philmore Mullin said the project ran smoothly and the NODS was able to successfully distribute vouchers to the 270 beneficiaries. He also expressed gratitude to CDEMA for spearheading this initiative.
A beneficiary, Maritza Crogman, shared: “The hurricane was very hard for me. I lost everything. My grandson and family suffered from the trauma. They do not want to go back to Barbuda. The voucher programme is helpful to me at the moment. It is a good idea.”
Another beneficiary, Salome Deazle, also offered positive feedback, stating, “I was impacted by Irma. I lost my home which was the rental I lived in. I can't go back because I have three children, so I am renting a house in Antigua for the time being. The voucher programme has been very good. We are very thankful because right now we are not getting paid and we have been shorting food sometimes, so it comes in handy. We are thankful for the help and as much help as we can get as possible.”
The successful implementation of the legacy project has been made possible with funding and the unwavering support of the donor community including; regional and international governments, development partners, the private sector, NGOs, citizens within the region, the Caribbean Diaspora, and all over the world.
For further information, please contact:
Clive Murray
Communication and Education Specialist
CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (CDEMA)
Resilience Way, Lower Estate
St. Michael
BARBADOS
Tel #: (246) 434-4880
Fax #: (246) 271-3660
Email: clive.murray@cdema.org
