Hurricane Maria Recovery

On September 18th, 2017, Hurricane Maria scored a direct hit on the Commonwealth of Dominica. According to UN Situation Report 1, 56,890 people are affected with 15 dead. The hurricane destroyed the country's power and water supply lines, agriculture, telecommunications, health centers and bridges. It blocked roadways with landslides and brought life in the island to a standstill.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) reported that Dominica's agricultural sector was totally decimated, directly affecting income, food and nutrition security of a large percentage of the island's population. Agriculture not only employs 25% of Dominica's workforce, but over the past 5 years the sector contributed about 25% of GDP. Tourism, the most significant industry after agriculture, was also hit badly with hotels losing about fifty percent of their rooms.

In addition, Dominica is still recovering from tropical storm Erika, which pummeled the island in August 2015. That disaster caused $483m of damage there, according to the World Bank, equivalent to 90% of its GDP.

Dr. Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, made an impassioned speech to the United Nations. Prime Minister Skerrit asked for assistance in rebuilding his island nation emphasizing that "we are committed to becoming the first climate resilient nation". The Prime Minister noted that he does not believe that there is a sustainable alternative as Dominica is in the line of sight of storms that become more dangerous by the year.

In response, the Rotary Club of Orleans and Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata in partnership with the Dominica Association of Ottawa are working together to raise funds to assist of Dominica in its drive to become a "climate resilient nation". As we did with Tropical Storm Erika, we will be working with the two Rotary Clubs in Dominica, who have feet on the ground and can help in assessing local needs. The Rotary Club of Orleans has established a presence in Dominica with activities focused on training teachers working with special needs children and on the rebuilding of schools and provision of learning materials.

We are indeed very grateful for your donation. You can donate online now, or cheques can be made payable and sent to:
Dominica Recovery Project
c/o Stan Xavier
P.O. Box 26088
Nepean,
Ontario, K2H 9R6.

Donations of $20 or more will be eligible for tax receipts through the
Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata Service Fund
Registration Number: 890067770 RR0001