Monthly Program Update - Bahamas (October 2020)

THE BAHAMAS HURRICANE RELIEF UPDATE OCTOBER 2020

TOTAL PROGRAM IMPACT

2,255 501

LIVES IMPACTED

Current Situation In September, after a six-month operational suspension due to COVID-19, we were delighted to welcome volunteers back to work on Great Abaco.

VOLUNTEERS

6,488

VOLUNTEER DAYS

200

JOBS COMPLETED

Following the quarantine period, and adhering to our COVID-19 safety measures, the first cohort of DM12 volunteers hit the ground running. At Every Child Counts School (ECC), volunteers are focusing their efforts on The Residence (installing base trim, patching drywall, mudding and painting), Sochet Hall (installing second floor decking, beginning interior work) and the Training Center (finish work). They have also worked on the playground (repairing and rehabilitating the equipment and grounds) and Seydel (removing tile, exterior paint) where a partner organization will install a commercial kitchen.

At Central Abaco Primary School (CAPS) work is almost complete, thanks to our partner GER3. Volunteers are supporting with the final touches, such as constructing furniture and painting. An initial 250 students will return to school at the end of October.

Our teams are also returning to our home response and recovery work with a focus on muck and gut, mold sanitation and roof repair.

Community Voices “No amount of words can express our gratitude to the people who left their families, their homes and their lives to come and support us. September 1, 2019 was horrible but September 2, 3, 4 .... to this present day is better... because you [All Hand and Hearts] came. If we have learned anything, it is the value of helping others. We will pay it forward. The people of Abaco, especially the children of Abaco, thank you all!” - Dominique Russell, DS Ministry of Education

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’re committed to performing continuous work in The Bahamas for the next year. 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.

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 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