In the immediate aftermath of hurricane Dorian, GER³ is privileged to be supported by the Center for Disaster Philathrophy (CDP) and UNICEF to help vulnerable families and children recover and build back better. Over the past several weeks, GER³’s work in Grand Bahama has made significant progress as we continue to focus on recovery programs in both Freeport and eastern Grand Bahama (High Rock):

Restoration and rehabilitation of seven (7) schools in Freeport
Debris removal and housing restoration of twenty (20) homes in High Rock

Both programs are operating daily to address the needs of most vulnerable communities and individuals using effective and sustainable recovery methods. GER³, led by our team of local Bahamian staff, has completed the first phase of the school recovery program and has assisted over half of the twenty (20) selected houses in High Rock. We continue to be proud of our hard-working teams and amazed by the resiliency, positivity and generosity of the Bahamian communities. Thanks to key donors such as CDP and UNICEF, GER³ is able to continue operations into December. Additional details for each program are provided below.

FREEPORT SCHOOLS RECOVERY PROJECT - RETURN TO LEARNING

The first phase of school restoration is now complete. Each of the affected schools included in GER³’s initial program has re-opened and children are safely back in school each day. UNICEF’s support allowed GER³ teams to expand and include affected community members in a cash-for-work program. Together with the community, our teams are supporting the most affected schools daily with debris clearance, roof tarping, mold remediation, drying, painting, sanitation and more. Over the course of the short program, schools were restored to a point where students were able to return to class and resume learning as quickly as possible.

The GER3 team had the opportunity to host a visit from Lisa Deters, UNICEF representative, along with Mr. Ivan Butler, Grand Bahama School District Superintendent, during the inauguration ceremony for the reopening of Hugh Campbell Primary School.

Thanks to additional support from UNICEF, GER³ is now implementing phase two of the schools recovery program. While students are now able to attend classes, longer-term repairs to flooring, walls, roofing and the exterior environments are still needed. Our teams are working closely with the School District Superintendent and the Ministry of Education (MoE) to address these longer-term recovery pieces required for each school with the overarching goal of building back better. At the conclusion of phase two, a total of seven (7) schools will be restored and rehabilitated thanks to GER³’s hard working teams, UNICEF and partner organizations, and local service providers and contractors.

GER3 cash-for-work program supporting the painting of chalk boards which are now ready for installation.

HIGH ROCK DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, LIVELIHOODS & SUSTAINABLE GREEN RECOVERY PROGRAM

The programmatic focus of GER³ in Eastern Grand Bahama (High Rock community) is debris clearance and housing restoration work where hurricane damage was particularly devastating. Thanks to generous funding from CDP, our teams are supporting the most vulnerable individuals by providing cash-for-work employment opportunities and allowing families to return to their homes as quickly as possible.

To kick off this work, the GER³ team conducted household vulnerability assessments and home inspections in the High Rock community. The team identified twenty (20) highly vulnerable households to be assisted as a part of the household recovery program and the program is now well underway with nearly half nearly half of the homes supported per their requests for assistance. To the greatest extent possible, GER³ is engaging residents of High Rock to influence and guide the recovery work. Many are also included as local service workers as part of our cash-for-work programming.

*GER3 cash-for-work program supporting the painting of chalk boards which are now ready for installation.*

“I am grateful to GER³ and CDP for the opportunity to allow me being part of the reconstruction process of my community, helping my neighbors and for the financial support you are giving to my wife and me to start over again”. – Dane Wunder

The first component of GER³ support includes debris removal from household interiors and yards. This also includes muck-outs: the removal of mud, muck, silt, and other typically semi-solid material from a home as a result of water inundation and gutting: tearing out and removal of construction related materials from the homes that have been damaged by water, including protruding nails in exposed studs and flooring. After the initial cleaning is complete, the next phase of the recovery program includes roof repairs, mold remediation and new sheetrock installation.

GER³ is coordinating with other actors on the ground in order to connect affected households with other INGOs for further assistance and access to recovery aid funds, especially in cases where the level of damage and needed renovations in the house are beyond the scope of GER³’s programming at this time.

Photos of a selected home in High Rock before GER3 support.

Photos of the same selected home one day later, after GER3 support.

Where possible, our recovery teams aim to recycle and reuse materials, helping to ensure a more environmentally focused response effort. Metal is the most valuable material that can be reused, and we are actively collaborating with the community members to collect metals for recycling and exploring with the community additional new approaches to organic debris recycling.