ROSEAU – It was an evening of remembrance and hope as Dominicans filled the Windsor Park Stadium in the capital for a memorial ceremony and thanksgiving concert on the second anniversary of the passage of Hurricane Maria.
On September 19, 2017, Dominicans were rudely awakened to the horror of destruction by the Category 5 cyclone overnight.
Maria battered the island for eight hours, leaving behind 65 dead and hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. No one was spared. The roof of the Prime Minister’s residence was torn off and several communities in the south and west of island were cut off for days.
But today, many Dominicans said they were just thankful they were spared.
Stephanie Tavernier told Barbados TODAY: It’s a good thing for us to be celebrating here today because two years back Dominica was almost finished.
“And from where we were and where we are now it’s very good for us to celebrate today and thanks to the Prime Minister.’
Roseanna Nelson said: “Although my roof stayed up but the amount of water and [debris] we had inside I said, ‘Lord Jesus I wonder if everybody [is] alive’.
“So I think today it’s a blessing for us to be at the stadium and it’s a good idea that the government of Dominica has agreed to do today.”
Dean Moise, who lives in the US, was also giving thanks that his family survived the storm.
He said: “That’s my main purpose for being here today; just to give praise to God with my family and to tell God thank you for sparing my Mom’s life and my wife’s life.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Trade Minister Ian Douglas told Barbados TODAY that the Bahamas, which also suffered similar devastation from Hurricane Dorian earlier this month, should look to Dominica as motivation for recovery.
Douglas said: “We asked the leaders of the Bahamas to allow us to help them. We’re sending a contingent of Dominicans over maybe in the next week, police officers, a lot of volunteers.
“People have just come forward, tradesmen, masons, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, nurses have just come forward and said they want to go to the Bahamas because they want to share our rebuilding and recovery experience with our fellow Caribbean brothers and sisters.”
He said that the Caribbean and the rest of the world can learn from Dominica’s experience with Maria.
The Barbados Coast Guard was the first overseas responder to land in Roseau two days after the hurricane.
Commanding Officer of HMBS Leonard C Banfield, Lieutenant Anderson Goodridge was full of praise for the Dominicans’ resilience after the storm.
He told the Windsor Park audience: “The island, when Leonard C Banfield arrived, was battered and bruised.
“Today your country’s resilience is noticeable and commendable.
“From devastation to restoration the Commonwealth of Dominica continues to rebuild and restore a complete turnaround of the state of destruction that the country was in two years prior.”
The Coast Guard would make 12 trips to Roseau in the following weeks as relief efforts continued.
Lt Goodridge said: “Being your brother’s keeper and being able to assist when it matters should be a right for all, but reminds us that for many being there to assist your neighbouring countrymen remains a privilege.
“The ever increasing role of the military in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief has the BDF as frontrunners in humanitarian assistance.”
But while there was much celebration inside the stadium, a handful of demonstrators from the organisation Concerned Citizens Movement staged a small protest with placards calling on the Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to account for funds that Opposition Leader Lennox Linton has claimed are missing from the country’s citizenship-by-investment programme.
Also some onlookers told Barbados TODAY they would not take part in the event, as they believed the money could have been put to better use.
“Give the money to a more worthy cause. I lost my brother a couple days after Maria, I cannot go in there and celebrate,” a woman who gave her name as Lucille said.
Local, regional and international entertainers performed at today’s concert, including Michele Henderson, Edwin Yearwood, Nicholas Brancker, as well as international gospel artistes Kurt Carr and the Kurt Carr Singers, and Shirley Ceasar.
