Monthly Program Update - The Bahamas (November 2020)

THE BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE NOVEMBER 2020

TOTAL PROGRAM IMPACT

2,255 501

Current Situation

LIVES IMPACTED

VOLUNTEERS

6,815

VOLUNTEER DAYS

200

JOBS COMPLETED

Our teams have made great progress in the past month, continuing to work hard at Every Child Counts (ECC) and financially support GER3 who are finishing up the work at Central Abaco Primary School (CAPS). CAPS, the largest public school on Abaco, is nearly finished and will soon have a safe and welcoming learning environment to return to when possible within COVID-19 restrictions.

At ECC, we are currently finishing up the residence building to house teachers (and eventually adults with disabilities) and focusing efforts in Sochet Hall, the largest two storey building on campus. ECC has recently reopened with virtual learning and marked the occasion with a wonderful online assembly, where musical performances and speeches were enjoyed by all. Read more about progress at ECC in their November 2020 Newsletter.

Our first cohort of DM12 volunteers has also been continuing response and recovery work on homes, and have completed five muck and gut jobs, three debris removals, two mold sanitations and one roof repair, with another roof and debris removal in progress. The list of homeowners looking for support on their homes is extensive, so our teams are working hard to assess the needs and create prioritized work queues for our DM12 volunteers to work from.

Community Voices "It’s always refreshing when you drive around and see people inside their homes cleaning it up and trying to return to their lives as they know it. It’s not easy, but making a start helps a lot. Little by little, piece by piece it is all coming together! Abaco we're bouncing back baby!!" - Vandea, community member

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 185 mph, 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 During the first six months, our focus was on response capacity in some of the hardest-hit areas. After a six month COVID-19 suspension, our long-term recovery program is now targeting reconstruction in schools and critical community infrastructure, while continuing to work on roofs, mucking and gutting, debris removal and mold sanitation within homes. With immense support from our local and global partners, we’re committed to performing continuous work in The Bahamas for the next year.

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