AHAH Monthly Program Update - The Bahamas (February 2022)

THE BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE FEBRUARY 2022

TOTAL IMPACT TOTAL IMPACT

LAUR A/DEL LIVES IMPACTED 2,467 VOLUNTEERS TA 22,397 VOLUNTEERS 735

VOLUNTEER DAYS

VOLUNTEER DAYS

2,393

LIVES JOBSIMPACTED COMPLETED

52

Current Activities The team has been working hard on the diverse scopes of work in The Bahamas and we are delighted to have completed response work on eight homes. This work has included the removal of hazardous debris and mold sanitation, creating a safe environment to move forward on the road to recovery.

We were thrilled to have completed the interior repairs, windows and doors of Gary Lewis’ home and hand over the keys to the local teacher. This marks the first completion of interior repairs on the Extension Program and our work continues for three more homes with this same scope of work.

Roof Rebuilds

SCHOOLmucking IN PROGRESS Roof repair and replacement is one of the highest and most expensive Photos: (Top) Volunteers ROOFS REPAIRED and gutting a home; (Left) Tree needs on the island of Great Abaco. Since we began our Extension removal Program in January, we have already completed two roofs. On each home we have implemented resilient building techniques to strengthen the structures against potential future disasters.

Take a look at this short video of the roof rebuild progress of Laperta Simm’s home.

The roof trusses - which form the roof’s frame - have been built on the ground and lifted into place once completed. In this video you can see the delicate process of one of the trusses being lifted into place.

Photos: (Left/middle) Volunteer working on roof rebuild; (Far Left) Volunteers taking a break from working on interior repairs

allhandsandhearts.org

Disaster Profile In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall as a Category 5 storm in The Bahamas with wind speeds in excess of 185 mph, lashing the Bahamian islands of Abaco (pop. ~17,200) and Grand Bahama (pop. ~51,000). Dorian’s traveling speed slowed to 1 mph over Grand Bahama, prolonging the island’s exposure to a life-threatening storm surge of 18-23 feet above normal tide levels. Over 76,000 people were affected, and 10,000 children were 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

Photo: Completed roof rebuild

We have been supporting the communities of Great Abaco since Hurricane Dorian devastated the island in 2019. In addition to clearing hurricane wreckage and putting roofs on homes, to date we have reconstructed eight school campuses culminating with the completion of Little Darlings Academy in the summer of 2021. 1,300 students have been provided with a safe, disaster-resilient and engaging places to learn and thrive.

The immense support from The TK Foundation this fall has enabled us to remain in the community, where we are now intensifying our focus to the lagging housing recovery. Our decision was two-fold: 1) schools have been greatly supported by the government and non-government organizations, whereas home recovery had been neglected, and 2) Bahamian government funds have been depleted and the cost of home repairs is not commensurate with local salary. For more than two years, many homeowners have not been able to return home.

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.

Our Partners in The Bahamas

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the eighth year in a row. This year only six percent of rated nonprofits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

info@allhandsandhearts.org