BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE FEBRUARY 2020
TOTAL PROGRAM IMPACT
2,055 341
LIVES IMPACTED
VOLUNTEERS
4,365
VOLUNTEER DAYS
114
JOBS COMPLETED
Current Situation We are excited to announce we are now working on the largest school in Abaco - Central Abaco Primary School, which serves 832 students. In partnership with UNICEF and GER3, we will complete work on two wings of the campus by the end of March, for a reopening of school in April. Many families are eagerly awaiting this reopen date as it will enable them to return home to Abaco. As evidenced by the increased number of cars on the streets, people are starting to return to Abaco. Electricity is gradually being restored to areas in the North and South of the island (although Central Abaco is still without power) and the sounds of heavy duty trucks transporting debris is a constant. Progress is visible and yet the volume of debris that remains is still beyond belief, and there is still much to be done. Alongside our work in schools, our work queue currently has over 120 homes on it. This number increases every day as more people return home, and ďŹ nd they need some degree of help. The work ranges from muck and guts, to roof repair. With an average of 80 volunteers we are making an impact on about 10 sites every day. Check out our work in action and how you can help here.
Community Voices “You may see us attempting to live a "normal" life, but it isn't... But we are trying, trying to live a normal way... Find a new routine if any to offer at all..... Just bare with us... Because even though we seem strong some days, others we aren't.... And that's the raw reality of it.... Anywho love to all. đ&#x;–¤â€? - Erica (Abaco Resident)
Learn about our programs at
allhandsandhearts.org
Disaster Profile On September 1, 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in The Bahamas with wind speeds in excess of 185mph, lashing the Bahamian islands of Great Abaco (pop. ~17,200) and Grand Bahama (pop. ~51,000). After striking The Bahamas, Dorian’s travelling speed slowed to 1 mph over Grand Bahama, prolonging the island’s exposure to life-threatening storm surge of 18-23 feet above normal tide levels. Over 76,000 people have been affected and 10,000 children displaced from schools. Dorian is the strongest hurricane on record for The Bahamas and tied a record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane to make landfall.
Our Work With immense support from our local and global partners, we were able to arrive early and stay late in The Bahamas. We’re committed to performing continuous work for the next two years, with an immediate focus on response capacity in some of the hardest-hit areas. Our long-term recovery program will target reconstruction in schools and critical community infrastructure (e.g. health clinics).
About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure. We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator six years in a row and a Perfect 100. Less than one percent of rated nonprofits have received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency. :
Our Partners in The Bahamas
info@allhandsandhearts.org