TODAY I’m not here to rant and rave, I’m here to appeal to you readers to step out in unity and to also spread the word so that more could step out to band together to help rebuild Dominica.
I’m sure that we can all remember the devastation caused to St Lucia by Tomas and the Christmas Eve trough. Some of us also have memories of storm Debbie and hurricane Allen. We remember that feeling of grief and sorrow over the loss of life most importantly but also our loss of our basic freedoms and the halt on our livelihoods.
We were saddened to see the state that our beautiful island had been reduced to and we were worried and still remain worried of other elements just waiting to capitalise on our vulnerability as a ravaged island.
We needed help desperately and we looked to our neighbouring islands to extend a hand over to us. We were ever so grateful to receive it.
Let’s all remember that feeling…all the sadness, grief, hopelessness as well as gratefulness and let it all fuel our drive to help out where we can, if we can.
This drill is not new to us so rather than sit by feeling sad whilst looking at the images and videos online and on the news, let’s spring into action and give what we can whilst we can.
I hope that people will not hold out and say: “Well, we could be next”. I mean, it’s always wise to be prepared but being stingy is simply being stingy and that leads to nothing…just remember, hurricane or none, our number could be up at any second and it could come as a result of anything from choking on breakfast to getting hit by a stray cow (I know that’s rare and extreme but it’s possible nonetheless).
There are currently small boats making collections of everything from clothes, water and food to toiletries, bug spray and toys to take over to our sister island and they are welcoming all that they can get…every little helps. You can get in touch with Claudine M. Springer who will give you the details of how and where to make your donations via Facebook or you can call her at 284 9262.
There are also legitimate “Fund Me” pages that can be found via social media sites like the Home at Heart Initiative (homeheart.org). You can also donate directly to the official Government Recovery and Reconstruction fund; ECCB: ECCBKNSNK, Government of Dominica BIC code GVDMDMDM For Gov’t of Dominica call account number 310301005.
As all right as it is to sympathise with the Dominicans, it is even better to give and support them so again, I ask that we put ourselves in their shoes…a place that we have actually been before and bring out that human side that we St. Lucians are famous for and pride ourselves in having.
Don’t go over your limits, after all if you have little to none then that’s understandable but to those who can, the deeper that your pockets can go then the deeper you should reach and it doesn’t even have to involve spending money…I’m sure that many of us have some long overdue spring cleaning and decluttering to get to so start rounding up those spare clothes, toys, shoes, bed linen, towels etc. and donate, donate, donate.
