Phase One of the Government of The Bahamas’ reconstruction and repair plan for those owner-occupied homes damaged by Hurricane Joaquin in the southeastern and central Bahamas got underway Monday with a “clear and detailed strategy” for how that plan will be executed.
The reconstruction and repair effort began with repairs to the roofs of the owner-occupied homes of the elderly in all of the islands hit by Hurricane Joaquin – San Salvador, Rum Cay, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana and Long Island – before work crews move on to repair the roofs of persons with disabilities and then those of single mothers with children. The final stage will include any others who fall under the parameters of the reconstruction and repair plan (or the general community). Internal/sheet rock repairs will follow the roofing repairs.
Expert teams from the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, the Water and Sewerage Corporation, and the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit (NRRU) of the Office of the Prime Minister recently visited some of the hardest hit areas in advance of the repairs. They were accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Philip “Brave” Davis in his capacity as Minister of Works and Urban Development; and by the Bahamas Ambassador to CARICOM, His Excellency Picewell Forbes.
The visit also gave officials -- who have spent countless hours and days assessing and re-assessing the entire needs of the communities negatively impacted by Joaquin in the days and weeks following the storm -- another opportunity to further coordinate the process on the ground with marines from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force who will lead the reconstruction and repair efforts.
Ms. Melanie Roach, Director of the National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit, said NRRU officials are working to build nine-member teams of local persons who will assist members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in carrying out the repairs.
Director Roach said once work on the priority homes is completed “if there are persons in the community who just want to get materials and be responsible for their own repairs, the Defence Force will confirm that and issue instructions for them to get the necessary materials.”
“Our senior citizens are always the most vulnerable of our population and so it is very important that we make sure that we get them secured first, if just for their peace of mind,” Ms. Roach said.
“We want to ensure that we take care of them and get them back to a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible. Right now, we are just concentrating on roof repairs and then we will look at those sheet rock internal repairs.”
Deputy Prime Minister Davis said the Government of The Bahamas has a “fundamental responsibility” to ensure that the most vulnerable groups in society are “taken care of.”
“The elderly, persons with disabilities and single mothers with children are considered the most vulnerable groups in society and so we have to ensure that they are looked after first and that is what we intend to do,” Mr. Davis said.
“However, everyone who needs assistance will receive that assistance,” Mr. Davis added.
Mr. Davis applauded the efforts of local entrepreneur Hilton Ferguson of HF Construction and Building Supplies, in “giving back to his community.” HF Construction will supply the building materials at cost.
“This is a fine gesture and I want to thank Mr. Ferguson for being prepared to allow us to start in the manner that we are. I also want to thank him for his corporate responsibility. He is not just supplying the material, but is supplying it at cost and at the best rate that we could have gotten and that speaks to his community spirit.”
Mr. Ferguson said it was a no-brainer for his company to get involved in the way it did.
“This is my home and I am happy to help however I can,” Mr. Ferguson said. “We are all our brother’s keeper and so I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government of The Bahamas for this opportunity to help our citizens return to some sense of normalcy.”
Deputy Prime Minister Davis said one of the tenets of the reconstruction and rebuilding exercise is to ensure that the local artisans in the areas damaged by Joaquin – electricians, carpenters, masons, contractors, entrepreneurs -- are involved in the exercise.
“That is important because we do have this opportunity…sometimes behind every disappointment there are appointments. The disappointment here is that we had such devastation. The appointment is the ability to rebuild and as we rebuild, to at least inject some funds and money into our local economies by utilizing the local artisans, local entrepreneurs, local suppliers,” Mr. Davis added.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development, the Hon. Philip "Brave" Davis (centre) outlines the strategy for Phase One of the Government of The Bahamas' Reconstruction and Repair Plan for those islands affected by Hurricane Joaquin during a stop at HF Construction and Building Supplies in San Salvador to authorise commencement of Phase One on San Salvador. The plan was also executed simultaneously in the other islands impacted by Joaquin. Also pictured (from left) are: Bahamas Ambassador to CARICOM, His Excellency Picewell Forbes; Hilton Ferguson, proprietor, HF Construction and Building Supplies; and Melanie Roach, Director, National Recovery and Reconstruction Unit, Office of the Prime Minister. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
