Gumelemi Issue 4

gumelemi

Issue 4 Fall 2016

1

Gumelemi Issue No.4 Š October 2016 Gumelemi Magazine All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without written consent.

Editor Gabrielle Misiewicz Research Assistant Kelly Delancy Cover Image Garth Knowles Cover Design Gabrielle Misiewicz gum elemi tree Elora Williams A Destroyed Dock in Rum Cay Debris on a Beach in San Salvador Lingering Clouds in Rum Cay

Tuck Shop Home, Lovely Bay, Acklins

Road Connecting Lovely Bay to North Acklins Home Opposite Airport Colonel Hill, Crooked Island Runway in Deadman’s Cay, Long Island Home in San Salvador Mangrove Bush From the Air Mangrove Bush From the Pontoon of the Sea Plane

Second Convenience Store in Rum Cay One of Two Convenience Stores in Rum Cay The Only Road in Lovely Bay, Acklins

Daniah Miller Daniah Miller Daniah Miller Gregory Williams Gregory Williams Dr. Harold Munnings Dr. Harold Munnings Daniah Miller Dr. Harold Munnings Dr. Harold Munnings Daniah Miller Daniah Miller Gregory Williams

gumelemimagazine.tumblr.com

gumelemi | gum•el•em•ee [noun] a magazine created by young bahamians for young bahamians. after the local tree with the same name. the gum elemi tree has a wide range of medicinal uses, particularly to resist disease, restore strength after illness, increase energy and improve circulation. gumelemi exists to energise our generation, to challenge us to think critically about our society, to circulate our thoughts with a view to taking them to the next level. as with bush medicine, using what is in our backyards to heal ourselves, the makers of gumelemi believe that we have in our country minds which possess the answers to our own problems, the ability to find the answers to our problems. gumelemi is here to inspire confidence in ourselves; to assist us in lifting our heads.

Dear Readers, October 1st, 2016 marks one year since since Hurricane Joaquin battered the southern Bahamas, causing historic devastation and traumatising countless residents. The category 4 storm sustained maximum winds around 130 miles per hour and moved at an excruciatingly slow pace, stalling over the islands for two days. Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador bore the brunt of its force and were crippled in the aftermath. While no deaths were officially recorded as a direct result of Joaquin, many Bahamians believe that their friends and relatives who passed not long afterward were killed by stress brought on by the hurricane. In December 2015, Prime Minister Perry Christie said the damage caused by Joaquin was close to $100 million.

In an amazing show of support and unity, Bahamians from all over the country came together to fund and supply relief efforts. Most, if not all, of you have heard of the HeadKnowles team, led by Lia Head-Rigby and Gina Knowles. As a private entity, they were able to bypass bureaucratic red tape and be among the first on the ground. Loretta Butler-Turner and Father Keith Cartwright also galvanized and coordinated emergency aid. We saw them flying back and forth to the islands and listened to their reports of the disaster. My own uncle Harry flew supplies and first responders, making dangerous landings in shallow, murky waters. And there were many other people and organisations that donated their time and resources to address the devastation wrought by Joaquin.

I don’t know about you, but my social media channels were filled with hurricane news: updates about rescues and shipments that needed to be prepped for departure, and calls for everyone to lend a hand however they could. It was exciting, and in spite of the awful reality that we were dealing with, encouraging.

Now, a year later, the people of Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador still need our help. The work to be done after Joaquin will take years, some say generations. The survivors are still trying to rebuild their homes, recover from the trauma and return to a semblance of normalcy, or at least, create a new normal.

This issue of Gumelemi is filled with stories of survivors and the volunteers and professionals who helped after the storm. My hope is that they paint a picture of the horror of Joaquin and help you to connect with those affected by the destruction left in its wake. Most of the stories come from interviews that I conducted, so they have been adapted to fit the constraints of the magazine. I am fully aware that some islands are underrepresented here, and wish that I was able to correct this for you. Regardless, I think that lingering over the pages ahead will help you to mark the anniversary of this major event in our nation’s history. Although the emergency efforts have concluded, there are still ways you can contribute to rebuilding; you will find these listed at the end. We must hold the government accountable to restoring the southern islands, and we have the wonderful opportunity to bring them back better than before.

Looking forward in hope,

Gabrielle Misiewicz Editor October 2016

Contents

1/ Scenes and Stories..................................................................................................8

Sylvia Burrows......................................................................................16 Steven Cartwright................................................................................26 Gregory Williams.................................................................................34 Amanda Knowles.................................................................................40 Daniah Miller.........................................................................................50

II/ Wah-Keen: Up and Down the Road to Transformation..............................54

Nature knows when weather comin’. They go to a different area.

A gentleman said that he went lookin’ for some bait that Monday mornin, he didn’t even see one sea urchin, and he normally see them.

See the sea urchins, they went to safety. Sharks, stingrays, and all those, they went to safety. That’s just how… nature!

Sylvia Burrows Mangrove Bush, Long Island

Rum Cay

Honestly I didn’t think it was going to be a big to-do, because I didn’t know about it until I went to work that day. When I got there they were like, ‘Oh a hurricane’s coming!’ I say ‘What?’ When my boss dropped me home I was like ‘Ok well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.’ That was Wednesday, and then Thursday it really hit.

I decided to spend the hurricane with my neighbour because she was home alone.

By 12 o’clock that night, Thursday night, the shingles off the back bedroom started to lift. By 1 it was in the living room. By 3 o’clock in the room that I was sleeping in, in the front - it started to leak on my face. So the water was in the entirety of the house. We were mopping and sweeping at the same time, but after a while the mop didn’t work. We didn’t sleep. I would take a nap, and then I would feel water and get back up. Then I’d sweep the water, then take a nap, then I’d get back up, sweep the water again. It was scary. I never heard anything like that before. Because she has a barn by her house, and it had a tin roof, and the whole time the tin roof was just going.

Alanna Cox Deadman’s Cay, Long Island

San Salvador

Before the storm came my mother-in-law was in the front room sitting by the sliding glass door. Something told her to move away from the door so she did and sat further away from it.

The breeze picked up, the roof was shaking and the glass pane wanted to come out. Mammy got on her knees and started to pray, asking God for protection because she was the only one in the room. After her prayer there was a flash of lightning and a big roll of thunder. Her grandson Reno was in another room which had a lot of glass windows. When he saw the lightning flashing he ran out of that room into another, and hid under the bed. The lightning continued through the house like a ball of fire. It went through another window, hit the light pole and knocked all of the wood off of the pole.

That part of the island had a surge and water was coming into the house.

Reno’s cousin Sadaam was also there; he and Reno swept out the water and piled the sofas up onto one another. It started to rain, and they continued to sweep the water out. Then they fixed up and cleaned up the house.

Later, Mammy’s other grandchildren came to check up on her because they saw the ball of fire that came out of the house. Mammy was thanking God and saying I am still alive, I am still alive.

When the officials came to assess the damages the next day they said it looked like nothing had happened there, only the box screen was ripped off of the front of the roof. She said the Lord was with her.

Mammy had an onion plant tree that had roses on it, but it dried up due to the weather. The next morning she looked outside through her window and saw pink flowers from the same dried up onion plant. She couldn’t believe it.

She called her son and showed it to him. It had to be a miracle. She continues to thank God and keep her trust in the Lord, and says that once you put your trust in God nothing will happen to you.

Christine Knowles, reporting Sylvia Knowles’ experience O’Neils, Long Island

Rum Cay

If you hear some of the stories in Crooked Island… I could tell you stories. I don’t see how come nobody died. I mean, we get stories in Crooked Island. I know of an American couple who have a house on the beach. Right on the beach. And we were like we know they’re gone.

Those people, their house, nothing happened to their house. The lady said she saw angels in the ceiling. Every house around them and along that beach was totally destroyed. If you look at their house, it’s like, where this house been in this hurricane? Their house was unscathed.

It’s unbelievable. It was just a miracle. God was right there. He had his heart around the people of Crooked Island.

Michael Carroll Landrail Point, Crooked Island

Lovely Bay, Acklins

Sylvia Burrows Sylvia Burrows and Paul McCardy have been together over 20 years. Sylvia’s first husband was Italian, and they raised their family in Italy.When her marriage ended she returned to The Bahamas, and in the year before Hurricane Joaquin she and Paul took care of her mother in Nassau.They moved to Mangrove Bush, Long Island (where Sylvia was born) in May 2015. Paul opened a takeaway, ‘Paul’s Grill Barbecue, Fridays and Saturdays, 12 noon until’, and it was just getting off the ground when Joaquin hit.

The couple rode out the hurricane together in their home, then spent two weeks in its ruins until they were able to take the Island Link to Nassau.This is Sylvia’s story, as she told it to me: My name is Sylvia Lona Burrows. I was residing in Mangrove Bush in my mother

terrible. It started really on Thursday, the 1st

Geneva Burrow’s house. My fiancé Paul

of October.

McCardy and I went to Long Island to start a

We saw water seeping into Mummy’s

take-away. We had a take-away going, and

bedroom. When we went into the bathroom

everything was ok. We heard that there was a

we saw water coming in around the edges of

tropical depression building up near San

the ceiling, and Paul tried to seal it off with

Salvador, so we didn’t think it was going to be

roofing cement. After that it really got real

anything. But the morning of Wednesday 30th

bad. We couldn’t get out because we live

September I saw the tide coming up. My

outside the settlement, on the main highway

brother Valerin lived on the side of the house,

of Mangrove Bush. As the wind was getting

and I said to him, ‘Val it look like tide comin’

really strong and water was coming up, Paul

up. Hurricane workin’.’ He said, ‘No, no

was nailing and putting screws in the rafters,

hurricane, just spring tide’. But Wednesday

to keep the roof. It got so terrible. We were

night we had wind and tide. We tried to get

trying to save some things, but I couldn’t get

out, but the tide was already coming up,

in my bedroom to get anything because the

water was three feet high in the roads. We

roof started to lift. Paul went in his room to

went north in our van, tried to get down to

try to save some of his papers from the take-

Mangrove Bush but we couldn’t pass. The van

away, but I couldn’t get anything else. I

stalled. We tried to go up by Pettys to get out

couldn’t get my wallet, I couldn’t get my

- the van stalled in the salt water. We had to

money, I couldn’t get anything. The tin part of

turn back and decide to ride out the storm.

the roof came down through the front room

So Thursday we didn’t go anywhere, we 16

decided to ride it out. And Thursday was …

and was slicing through the water; it could’ve

gonna push you by the buttocks and hurry,

cut us in half! There were objects flying

because the water is coming in the dining

around outside, and I was afraid one of them

area’. He pushed and pushed and do you

would’ve come in and licked us and hit us.

know what I did? I drew myself up. I don’t

When Paul looked, he saw Mummy’s

know, God gave me that inner strength and I

bedroom tearing away from the house and he

got up and I put one foot on the manhole,

said ‘Run for your life Syl!’

and Paul said, ‘When you get there, sit against

I was screaming. He said, ‘Come come.

the wood that’s joined onto the main house,

I gotta get you in the manhole (in the ceiling)’.

and sit on the beam’. And I did so. When I

And he put some of my plastic bins together

looked - he’s a man - he drew himself up into

and put me on the bins. I’m half blind because

the manhole. As soon as he got himself up

I have glaucoma, and I wondered how I was

the bins all went into the water. The water

going to make it. He said, ‘You gotta go on

was comin’, comin’, comin’ up. And we sat

these bins, you have to go on these bins’. I

right there. That was 8pm Thursday night, the

said, ‘What am I gonna do?’ He said ‘I’m

1st of October 2015. And we sat right there.

gonna push you up by your buttocks, but you

It started whistling. Howling. Water

gotta grab onto the 2x4s by the manhole’. I

from the swells was coming up to the vents.

said, ‘You outta ya…’ and he said, ‘Well let me

Paul crawled on his stomach to cover them

tell you somethin’.You better do somethin’,

with some rags that he found, and when he

‘cause I’m gonna be gone’. He talked to me

came back he said, ‘I don’t want to frighten

so rough. But I think he had to push me to be

you Syl’. I asked, ‘Paul, what’s gonna happen to

active and do what I had to do. He said ‘You

us?’ He said, ‘Sylvia, keep the faith. Hold the

better do this now, otherwise you ga be left

faith’, and he told me that when he looked

here.You be swep’ away.’ And I did so. I

down he saw that there were no hurricane

obeyed.

clips on the rafters. The swells were coming

Chile. I don’t know how I drew myself

second after second, and every time they hit

up onto those rafters. I gripped and he was

the side of the house all you could hear was

telling me - because he’s a builder - he said,

glass clattering from the windows breaking.

‘For God’s sake don’t hold onto the

Brahh! Brrrum! Brahh! And the walls shook.

sheetrock’, because the sheetrock was

Brrrmmm!!! I said, ‘Oh my God!’

already wet. He asked, ‘You feel the 2x4s? I’m 17

The doors of the cabinets were banging and everything inside was rattling,

The table collapsed, the couch came in, ‘Sylvia

tumbling, coming down and clattering. I said,

there go ya phone’, ‘There go the tv’, and all

‘I’m going out of my mind I’m going crazy!

the mattresses came in. As the night passed it

What is that?’ and I held my ears to my head.

got worse and worse. It was horrible.Terrible.

Throughout the storm you could hear glass

Then he saw daylight. He said, ‘I think the

breaking, plates breaking and tearing down.

main house is gone’.

Can you imagine 13 hours sitting on a rafter?

I said, ‘Where can we go? What

And every time I moved Paul said, ‘Eh! Watch

happened to my brother?’ He said, ‘Now

the sheet rock! On the beam, on the beam!’

listen here, one thing is left in that dining

We had no water, no nothing. My

room now, and that’s the stove. I gotta try to

throat was hurting, painful. I couldn’t swallow

get you down.You gotta jump’. That was 9

because it was so dry. And Paul said, ‘Now

o’clock Friday morning, but it looked like

you listen to me good.You gotta form your

night. We didn’t know where we were going,

saliva in order to soak your throat. Don’t talk

but we had to get down. The burners were

much. Just listen’. So I said, ‘Yes’. He said, ‘Now

off the stove, and it was disconnected from

listen here. If the plywood starts liftin’ off

the base cabinet and the gas tank. Paul was

here, I gotta go down and I gotta rip some of

down there rocking on the waves with the

this electrical wire. I gotta go down and tie us

stove, trying to position it in line with the

in the dining room, to the double window’. I

manhole in order for me to jump. I was afraid

said, ‘Ok Paul’.

I would fall and kill myself because I didn’t

The dining room and kitchen were

know where I was going to jump. He timed

added on to Mummy’s main house of six

his movements with the waves, and a big one

rooms. There was an arch, an opening, from

came, and he said ‘Jump!’ When I jumped, I

the sitting room into the big dining room and

landed on the stove! Paul grabbed me with

kitchen. Paul laid down on the rafter and

one hand and the stove washed right out. It

watched everything from the main house

went right out!

come into the dining room. When I looked

18

high. And Paul watched everything crumble.

The sign for Paul’s take-away, the

down I asked, ‘What’s that down there Paul?’

cooler and table boards were washing in the

He said, ‘Sylvia that’s the ocean!’ I said, ‘That’s

ocean in the dining room. The waves took us

the ocean down there?’ It was about five feet

up and hit us into a corner, and I couldn’t

breathe because the water was coming over

waves ga take you’. There was thunder and

my head. I said, ‘Oh my God!’ and Paul said,

lightning, and when we got to the van the

‘Now you tiptoe! You hol’ on me for life!’ I

pressure from the saltwater made it hard for

was holding on to the back of his jacket for

him to get the door open. Dirty water came

life! He said, ‘Hold on to the double window’.

out in a swoosh over us, and he grabbed me

As we were coming down I was swallowing

and pushed me in. I went head over heels up

salt water, swallowing cement. When we

into the passenger seat. He came in with

came to the front of the house I looked and

rope to tie the van door to the seat, to keep

said, ‘Oh my God Mummy’s house gone!’ Paul

it closed. There was dirty water up to the

said, ‘No time for that!’ We climbed over the

dashboard. I said, ‘What gonna happen now,

piece of the foundation, and when I looked I

we gonna die we gonna get electrocuted’.

saw a mountain of a tsunami to the other side.

Paul saw some empty diesel jugs in the van,

I said, ‘Oh my God’. And it was washing us

and he put them in the seat. Then he took

and washing over us.

two boards, and he put one for me, one for

We made our way to the side of the

him, on top of the jugs. My feet were

house, where there was a storeroom. As we

cramped up from cold and sitting in the

got by the dilly tree I saw that the big waves

water, and he said ‘Stretch out ya feet’. I

coming from the south had torn the

stretched them straight out to the windshield

storeroom down, and I said ‘Oh my God the

so that they could get some life back in them.

storeroom gone down nowhere for shelter!’

I was moving and massaging them and as I

The waves flung us from the dilly tree straight

looked out the window I said ‘Do Lord,

across the highway! And I was hollering. I was

please send somebody up the road. Do

hollering ‘Oh my God!’ I could hardly hear

police, please come. For God’s sake someone

Paul because of the howling of the wind. He

come!’ I was praying so hard.

said, ‘Get on my back! Get on my back right

I watched that hurricane for six hours,

now! I’m gonna grip the road’. He swam,

from 9.30am to 3.30pm. It took up residence

gripping the road, toward our new van. It was

and it stayed there. Do you know what I saw?

bogged down underneath the lee of the piece

Sailing through the air? A tub. And I watched

of building that was left, wheels spinning.

that dilly tree, right there in the side of that

Paul said, ‘Don’t let me go! For God’s sake

van. That was just tearin’ down and it was

don’t let go of me, ‘cause if you let go, the

speaking! It was like it had voices! When 19

those waves came and hit the van I said, ‘Oh my God! Please Lord!’ I said, ‘If it only could

brother and his wife Etoile. Between 2 and 3

rain and break the wind!’ There was a little

o’clock the next day we went back to the

bit of rain, but it didn’t break the wind. All I

disaster yard. When we got back to our

could see was the little branches of the dilly

house all the doors and everything were

tree just moving. Moving. The hurricane was

down. Everything was rubble. Nothing was

going so slow.

saved.

Then I heard tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap,

I used to take care of my mum (in

tap. I looked through the window and said,

Nassau) and had just moved back home in

‘Oh my God! Look like the faces of three

May. I took all of my stuff - my trunks, 13

angels’. There were three boys, crawfish

small bins, 11 large bins, 3 closets of clothes -

divers in their twenties. Big tall boys, with a

and I was left with a house dress on. All the

life jacket. One of them, Augusta Wells said,

take-away stuff, all the food, all my money,

‘Open this door! Open this door!’ They were

everything. It took up all the closets. I had my

hollering in the wind, ‘Open this door!’ Water

church clothes in a very heavy cedar closet in

gushed out as I pulled open the passenger

Mummy’s room. I didn’t see it. My orthopedic

door, and they grabbed me and put me in the

mattress, boxspring, stereo, hats, jewellery,

life jacket.

boots, all my luggage from Italy with my coats

Across from our yard is a marsh that

and jackets, all my picture albums. I had

leads to the bay, so there was a lot of current.

nothing. Paul went to check on his van, but

Paul is strong and they’re strong, and I was in

there was nothing you could do with that, it

the middle of them, with Paul on one side of

was all salt.You know what he found on the

me and the boys on the other. The force of

wall in the kitchen? A little token my sister

the wind, the salt, the stinging, it was cutting

Brenda bought for my mother. That’s what I

off our feet as we tried to walk through the

have. That’s all we have left of mum.

waves. We walked to the number house

20

We slept there that night. Me, Paul, my

Things were hanging from the trees. I

across the road, and they led us through the

tried to get some stuff from the branches, but

bush. I was walking on prickles up the rise to

they were so twisted round it was just like

Dicky Darville’s house, where all of us met.

crazy glue held them there. All the casuarinas

No shoes, no slippers, a wet house dress. No

were down. It was a horrific sight. I sat

water, no liquid, no food.

Saturday afternoon, 4pm, on the cement

rubble of the storeroom in our yard, and I

there anymore to think on. A lady told me

looked around, and I cried. I cried. Like a baby.

that happened to her after the death of her

Paul battened up that little piece of

grandmother. Her brain shut down. She said

my parents’ house. We stayed in there for 16

it happens, otherwise you go crazy.

days and 16 nights, sleeping on the floor. No

Mummy told me once, ‘Sylvia, the Lord giveth,

one took us in. Either they were unwilling or

and the Lord taketh’.Vanity of vanities, and

unable to do so. And I spent the most

the Lord say He made heaven and earth and

horrible 16 nights of my life, in the same lil

this is His land. Like He said, Don’t come and

piece of housedress. Insects were crawling -

build your treasures on earth, build them in

centipedes, red ants, mosquitoes, sand flies.

heaven. When I think I had so much stuff, I

Paul opened up some cans and was cooking

feel sometimes like a burden has lifted from

on the portable stove and insects were

me. I feel light. Sometimes we intend to have

crawling into the pot. Mr. Lane from The

things close to us, and close to our heart, and

Bahamas Youth Camp came to our rescue

all of a sudden - Monday, Tuesday and

and he’d come to check on us every day. He

Wednesday we had everything. But Saturday

brought us water, clothing, first aid, bed wear.

we didn’t have anything. Can you imagine? In

That’s how we lived for 16 nights and 16 days,

three days, penniless, clotheless, and

and through all of that, I say thank God for

homeless. And life, it goes on. Gotta pick up

life. I survived it.

the pieces.

Many a night afterward I had nightmares. I woke up thinking I was in the water and then say ‘Oh my God I’m on dry land!’ I’d say, ‘Paul the sheets are dry!’ It’s like a trauma. It is a trauma. When I talk about it I have a panic feeling in my chest. And after a while I come to tears. But you see, the Lord is an awesome God. In those times I am unable to think through those things, it’s like a wall has been put there. He’s not allowing it.

It’s like he’s shut my brain down. Every time I go to think, all of a sudden there’s nothing 21

I told her (Sylvia) even when we were in the attic, in the manhole, the Lord said, wherever two or three are gathered I am there also, I’m in the midst. So just hold the faith, we gon’ be all right. See I’m a Catholic right? I have a strong faith. Born a Catholic and I’ll die one, right? That’s the way it was. But um, I sad, we lost everything you know? But thank God for life. Still here. Know what I mean? And plenty don’t live to see my age. I’m 60 years old.

Paul McCardy Mangrove Bush, Long Island

Road connecting Lovely Bay to Acklins

You ever hear ‘bout a hurricane two and three miles an hour an’ ain movin?

Letta Fox The Bight, Long Island

Colonel Hill, Crooked Island

Steven Cartwright Steven Cartwright is the founder and president of Bahamas Revisited, an excursion company offering educational, environmental week long excursions to the Family Islands. He also has deep roots in Long Island, and volunteered with relief efforts immediately after the hurricane.We spoke about his experience early this year, and since that time Bahamas Revisited has organised several excursions designed to bring aid to survivors in Long Island.

I was away on vacation when I saw the hurricane was coming. I was trying to

could swim to someplace else. These houses

figure out why people weren’t reacting to it.

aren’t low to the ground - these are two

There were so many mixed messages and I

storey homes and they were swimming out

can’t speak for everybody but I’ll tell you

of their top window. That’s how high the

what I saw. I was in Pennsylvania, and the

water was. My really good friend from Grays

communication with my family in Nassau and

climbed out and climbed to the top of a hill

Long Island was, ‘Oh it’s nothing, nothing’s

and broke into someone else’s house - a

going to happen it’s ok, no one should be

second home - and that’s how they were able

bothered about it’. Then all of a sudden it was

to survive.

‘Holy crap, a really bad storm hit, and no one

People were jumping out of their

was prepared for it’. I wasn’t on the island to

windows, swimming out, people were in their

say I saw a news bulletin go out, but I was on

cars, some people’s driveways looked like

Facebook and I didn’t see anything on

someone had gone through and with a

Facebook. I’m not sure ZNS did anything, but,

wooden spoon just churned the entire garage

at the end of the day, no matter what was

around. My uncle has a bar, had a bar, called

done, clearly not enough was done. Because a

Midway Inn, in the Bight, Long Island, which is

lot of people were not prepared. Some

right next to Grays. All of his coolers and

people didn’t even have shutters up on their

freezers and everything were turned upside

house.

down and in a completely different part of It’s pretty scary. My family’s from

the club because of how much water had

Grays, and I heard stories of people that had

come in. The mud was up to the dash in his

to swim out of their house and climb into

Jeep Wrangler. That’s how much mud was in

trees with their children, and wait in the

26

trees until the wind stopped so that they

his car. He couldn’t even open up his glove

Relief, Contact Person Larry Cartwright, or

box.

Steven Cartwright, or whatever’. Then when When I got the call from Loretta

it came to Long Island there was no

(Butler-Turner) asking if I could come down

mistaking, this isn’t just a free for all, this is

and help I just ended my vacation to help

actually for someone.

however I could. The first thing was to make

We got that organised pretty quickly

sure that items that were getting sent to

and then it really went streamlined from

Long Island were actually getting to people

there. Another thing we started to do right

that needed them. Because they were having

away was assess the needs of communities.

an issue where things were going missing or

So we put a team together and had two or

people in desperation were taking things that

three guys in every community go door-to-

didn’t actually belong to them. I was a part of

door and assess the homes - measure the

the team that was on the Island Link. What

windows that were damaged, figure out how

we did was to take items that were donated

many bundles of shingles they would need to

by HeadKnowles and private citizens, then

fix their roof, what kind of concrete

make sure that when they got to Long Island

structures need to be replaced - that way we

they were separated into the appropriate

could put together a comprehensive list of

piles and sent to the right part of Long Island.

what was actually needed. Then we could

A lot of it had to be loaded up onto one

send back to Nassau and say ‘Ok, Grays

truck and then that one truck would make

community needs 40 bundles of shingles, 20

four or five stops.

sheets of plywood, and that would cover

On the ground initially it was kind of

most houses in that area’. That’s how we

mayhem, because you had so many people

were able to get things in pretty quickly. And

saying different things. We were finally able to

that’s still actually going on in some areas. I

put together a proper system with the Island

think the list itself is done it’s just a matter of

Link staff and the warehouse staff where

now funding a lot of the rebuilding.

items were being labelled better in Nassau -

After Hurricane Katrina I was able to

because that was part of the problem, items

stay in Gulf Port, Mississippi for a day or two.

were just being labelled ‘Hurricane Relief’,

Long Island looked just as bad if not worse. I

with no contact person. So we were then

think if the population on Long Island, Acklins

able to then say ‘Ok, it needs to be Hurricane

and Crooked Island was even close to that of 27

Nassau we would’ve gotten much more

so ill-prepared’ - stuff like that. People were

national coverage. The problem is there’s only

scared, people were tired. But then, Long

2,000 people on Long Island, there’s only 500

Islanders are really well known for being

people on Crooked Island, so when you see a

strong so there was also that underlying

stretch of five or six houses ruined, it doesn’t

current of, We will get together, we will be

really mean much to you. But if this storm

bigger and better than ever, we will come

had hit Nassau, Nassau would’ve been

back from this. That was really good to see.

entirely devastated. I mean the entire country would’ve been set back 20 years. So in one

has been ongoing work. There are some

breath you have to be thankful that it didn’t

people who need to be commended. They

come as far as Nassau, and in the other

have never left, they are still there, they are

breath we have to understand just how

still working, some of them are taking a huge

catastrophic this storm was, and what it did

hit on their jobs because they’re still there,

to people in the southern islands.

but they know the importance of getting that

And being from Long Island, or

28

And that theme has continued. There

community back up. I’m pleased to see that

descending from Long Island, spending all my

boats are being put back in the water

summers there, it did not look like what I

because there was a big concern that

knew. Some places are unrecognisable. I mean

fishermen would not be able to go out and

the whole place just looked different. The

fish, but I think so far there’s two or three

landscape looked like it had been burned

back in the water, they’re working on a few

because of the wind burn, there were boats

more. So that’s good. And things are just

in the middle of the road, the road was

moving forward.

washed away in some parts, and the looks on

For me Joaquin was a reminder that

peoples faces - they were trying to be strong

Bahamian people, when pushed to the limit,

but you could tell it scared the crap out of

will come out on top. No matter how

plenty of them. So much so that grown men,

negative things are, no matter how tough the

when they see you they recognise you they

odds are, at the end of the day, those that

hug you and start crying. I’m not gonna call

truly love this country will stand up and do

any names ‘cause it’ll embarrass them now

what’s right. We had a lot of foolishness going

but a lot of tears, a lot of, ‘What in the world

on leading into that time, the PLP were about

was that?’ ‘How did that happen?’ ‘We were

to have a convention, the political world

seemed like it was going haywire, and then the storm hit and the entire country came together. It shows that there’s still that understanding of looking out for your fellow man. I think we’ll have that happen more consistently if we get the right leadership, someone that encourages that kind of spirit and that drive, and is able to effectively put people in positions that are able to get things done.  

29

I had a cousin whose two youngest boys, six years old, were living with their grandparents in Long Island. She was fretting because they’re in a flood-prone area, and she was on Long Island before when they had some flooding and she lost everything in her home.

Days and days she was at the warehouse volunteering and you could hear nothing. She didn’t know what was happening, where her little kids were, you know there was no communication so, just fretting. Then one day somebody did an aerial shot of the island, and in the corner of that shot she saw their house, and she saw these two little figures standing out on the back porch. She was like ‘See them there!’ I’m like, ‘I don’t see anything!’ ‘Das them right there!’ All of her stress lifted just to know they were alive. Around them all you could see was water, but they were standing out. Nobody else was outside, but these two little figures.

God knew she needed that relief.

Amanda Knowles HeadKnowles volunteer

Deadman’s Cay, Long Island

San Salvador

With me, it’s a good thing I used to work out you know? I do push ups and stuff, 60 to 70 one time. Keep the upper body together. And I believe in eating boiled food. I don’t eat too much fried food and stuff like that.

I don’t be into that.

Paul McCardy Mangrove Bush, Long Island

Paul was responsible for his and his fiancée Sylvia’s physical safety as they moved into and out of the roof of their home and swam through the hurricane to their van.

Gregory Williams Gregory Naldo Williams is a civil engineer who was part of the National Response and Reconstruction Unit, a team assembled by the government to assess the damage to islands impacted by Joaquin.This is his report of what they encountered in Acklins.

Most of the damage in Acklins was infrastructural, meaning critical roadways

from their settlement.

were destroyed (primarily in Lovely Bay and

A few days after the storm a

Snug Corner). Lovely Bay's water and power

gentleman with a tractor decided to push as

lines sustained heavy damage, leaving the

much fill material as he could over the gap in

community without running water, power or

the roadway that connects Lovely Bay and

vehicular access for days. The road that

the rest of Acklins. This allowed for passage at

connects Lovely Bay to the remainder of

least by foot and by small vehicles whose

Acklins Island was understandably swept

owners were willing to risk driving over a

away because it was built over a waterway

narrow section of dirt.

that runs back and forth with the tide. There

Snug Corner is a low lying settlement

wasn't adequate drainage built into the road,

north of Spring Point and it too sustained

which essentially dammed the waterway.

heavy road damage. The land is so low that

Once Joaquin came the volume and flow of

rising waters from the ocean were easily able

water was enough to finally push away the

to find their way into the settlement and

road and Mother Nature won.

remove the top layers in multiple sections of

Lovely Bay itself experienced heavy

the roadway. Flooding was experienced in

road damage due to its geography: a narrow

most of the buildings, which included private

strip of land surrounded by water, with no

residences and the elementary school.

coastal protection. Significant portions of

34

never entertained the idea of moving away

The main road to the southernmost

land and road were swept away by the wave

settlement, Salina Point, was flooded, making

action during the storm and the subsequent

travel to that isolated settlement by land

receding waters shortly after. Many homes

impossible in the first few days after the

were damaged, a couple completely

hurricane. Salina Point contains almost half

demolished, but the people still had hope and

of Acklins' population and is separated from

the rest of the island by about 27 miles of one of the worst roads that can ever be travelled in The Bahamas. The settlement has its own reverse osmosis and power generation plants, however because communication services were down there was no way to obtain information on their functionality after Joaquin. With time boats were able to access the Salina Point dock to deliver supplies and learn about their situation; within a week it was safe enough to travel there by land in trucks or larger vehicles.

A highlight of the trip was seeing a plane from the United States come in to drop off supplies. It was unscheduled, completely random and greatly needed, and it flew into the airport as we were waiting for our plane to depart. There was a kid (probably the child of an air traffic controller) who was maybe 8 or 9; he was on the runway with two faded fluorescent sticks directing the plane where to taxi into the runway and terminal. Everyone was laughing at the sight of such a small child directing such a big plane (despite the fact that this broke aviation rules and protocol). It was a moment of relief from the obviously damaged atmosphere around us.

35

The water looked like paint or coloured cream.

Dr. Harold Munnings Relief pilot

Mangrove Bush, Long Island

We taxied as close as we dared to the dock. Just three feet or less of murky water. Devastation all around. One of our passengers came to retrieve the body of his father who was killed when the roof fell in.

Dr. Harold Munnings Relief pilot, describing the water pictured here in Mangrove Bush, Long Island

Amanda Knowles Amanda Knowles is a senior member of the renowned HeadKnowles team.We spoke last December about her involvement with the organisation and how the things she’s seen and heard have changed her perspective on life.

Gumelemi: How did you get involved in the relief

this time so I got sucked into the whole

efforts?

gamut of the relief effort.

That was basically it, selflessness

Amanda: Well, I knew I wanted to do

kicked in and took over. We were there from

something but there was too much to be

9 o’clock in the morning till 9 o’clock at night

done on my own. I knew Island Cellular -

non-stop, and exhausted daily, but the

Gina Knowles’ business - was collecting some

response from the public was overwhelming. I

items, and I figured I’d donate my weekend

think what triggered that was people were

there, immediately after the storm passed. I

tired of sitting back and waiting for

was taking in supplies and whatnot and

governments or organised groups or

helping out, and it just grew. Lia (Head-Rigby)

whatever to step in. They just automatically

actually put the relief drive together, and

started to channel the donations and the

they’ll tell you that it started out with two

funds and the goods and their time into this

friends just wanting to help. They never

effort, which was totally private, not affiliated

imagined that it would grow to the scale that

with anyone or anything, just people helping

it did. So I volunteered over at Island Cellular

people. We know when politics gets involved

that Saturday and from there it ballooned

everything slows down, there’s too much red

into the big warehouse at Furniture Plus,

tape, and I think that in itself was what

because there was just so much stuff coming

attracted a lot of people to donate their time

in. That’s how I got sucked in. Days had gone

and help.

by and I wasn’t showing up at work - I do

40

Lia and Gina and a few others

insurance, I work at Colina - and you know I

formulated the details behind the scenes and

figured, I’m on my own schedule, my own

people just fell in line. A lot was done in a

time, and nothing else is more important than

very short space of time. Reaching

out to corporate entities, friends and families,

always been very resilient, always very

surprisingly being accepted and welcomed,

proactive, and are always action-focused, as

and people were willing to just dump it all on.

opposed to talking. So I knew for a fact that

If you saw the operation ongoing at the

Long Island people would come together to

Furniture Plus warehouse it was like a well-

make sure Long Island was ok. But the

oiled machine. We had piles and piles for

concern was that the damage was so

every island. Because the leadership is from

widespread. With our geographical makeup,

Long Island, people automatically assumed

with islands, it’s not like we’re going to one

that what we were doing was for Long Island.

state in the United States, or like one county

But no we made it known very quickly that it

within that state was flooded and everybody

was for everybody. In fact some of the other

and everything is right there, and you can

islands got relief from us before Long Island,

rebuild right there. We have to have a plane

because we couldn’t even get there.You

for each island, and a boat to each island. To

know? The big organisations came on board

see everything unfold was amazing. It shows

and people donated the use of barges and

the potential of what this country can do,

planes and boats and mailboats. The effort

what the people of this country can do and

was, I’ve never ever experienced anything like

where we could go.

that. It just shows you the power of the people.

To be honest, until then, a lot of people said they had lost hope in the future of this country. They were at the point where

How did that make you feel? Seeing all the

they just didn’t care anymore. Crime is high,

organisations and individuals joining in -

unemployment is high, government is corrupt,

especially given the political and economic

and this and that, so people were in an, ‘All

context?

for me, I’m taking care of my family, government’s not doing anything for me,’

It was an awesome feeling. Our culture, sad

mentality. Working on the relief effort made

to say, has a ‘wait and see’ type mentality. We

people believe again in themselves, in The

have a ‘What can you do for me?’ or ‘Who do

Bahamas, and in what we’re really all about. It

you know?’ type of mentality, and that’s sad.

got thinking about way back when. I’ve heard

Each island has its own unique way of living,

stories of how people used to build houses

and I can say as a Long Islander that we have

for each other. If you were a painter and I 41

was a bricklayer, I did your bricklaying for you,

happen? It was awesome. And it’s given me a

when it was my time to build you came and

new spin on the future. I just hope people

painted for me. The same for if you did

don’t forget; the people who’ve gone through

roofing, you know. They did bartering and

it, as well as the people who are helping

trading and so forth, and we saw the same

recover. Then there are always those people

type thing happening in the relief effort. This

who don’t give a flying banana about anything

one would say, ‘Well I don’t know how to

that happens to anyone, it’s only about them;

build but I have a trailer that you can use to

so be it. That’s what makes the world so

import the stuff’, or, ‘I can come and do the

interesting, so many different types of people.

roofing when you get to that stage’, or ‘I can do the plumbing when you get to that stage’.

How do HeadKnowles members communicate?

If we can get back there, oh what a wonderful

Especially since it’s died down?

place this would be.

Whatsapp! Lia formed a WhatsApp group It was really inspiring for me to see too. Even

with a few people. The core base like I said

though I was away I was following everything and

are Long Islanders, and then we have a

feeling like wow this is amazing I’ve never seen

representative that has connections with

anything like this.

each of the other islands, so if we need information or to transport stuff or whatever

Yea I’ve never seen it anywhere. Then when

they have the hookup. Everything really is via

you have the other islands jumping on board,

social media.

like Abaco and Spanish Wells who were

42

Working at the warehouse I heard

sending trailers and trailers of stuff, it’s

little kids say over and over, I lost all of my

amazing. Even from the United States. There

school stuff and my school bag, do y’all have

were some hiccups as far as that was

any school bags? Listening to what the

concerned, because of our red tape with

children had to say is what inspired me to do

customs regulations, but people found a way,

the backpack drive, HeadKnowles Build-A-

with yachts for example. There were posts on

Backpack. I’m chairing the drive, and all of the

the (Facebook) site saying ‘Hey we need

[500] backpacks and whatnot are being

some people at the marina, yacht so and so is

gathered at my house. I purchased 200 with

coming in, loaded.’ When do you see that

the funds donated at BOSS, BTC donated

another about 200, then we had another

nothing to put them in. When you run out of

private donor with a few more. So they’re all

boxes it’s like a crisis - ‘We need boxes!’

at my house, and some other things that

Sandy’s and Darville’s Packaging and all these

Atlantis sent along as well. When we have all

other companies did these little things that

the supplies and are ready to pack then we’ll

made a big difference.

send out a blast: we need packers. The same

Then the rebuild is ongoing on the

thing was done for the toy drive. Every child

islands, where they’re rebuilding and repairing

got at least 2 toys from the toy drive. That’s

homes. The problem is the team of

how we do because everybody has their own

volunteers is so small, because it requires

life. At a moment’s notice people respond and

skilled men. A bunch of us could go and

say ok I’ll be there, I’ll be there. Then you

maybe we could lift a bag of sand, but what

always have the core few, no matter what is

am I gonna do? I could do some things, but

happening they're always there.

the speed they’re moving, I will only get in the way. I tell people my time is better used here

How many people would you say are in the core

where I have access to people and things and

few?

can get things done.

So the rebuilding is still going on,

I think it’s no more than 5 or 6 at the very

there’s the backpack drive, there’s the toy

core. Then there are a few others that are

drive that’s just finished, now phase three is

the next in line, who would take on a special

gonna be rolled out in 2016.

part of the project.

So Phase 1 would’ve been like immediate relief.

Aside from Build-A-Backpack, what are the different project arms?

Yea, the immediate relief, whatever we got, we get it out as quickly as possible.

There was the Orange Brigade toy drive, so called because VitaMalt donated all of the

Phase 2 would be the special projects like Build-

orange boxes for packing, which was

A-Backpack and the Orange Brigade.

important. That’s the kind of little thing that you don’t think about, but boxes were a huge

Right all of these things, so the rebuilding of

help because you have all this stuff and

the homes, and the backpack drive, and the 43

Orange Brigade, and things that weren’t

way, without homes, without beds, still

immediate but still are necessary. In the midst

sleeping on the floor. The lifestyle on the

of it all, there had to be a limited company

island is a lot different, and you would find

formed, because of people donating funds and

that a lot of people did not have insurance, so

being accountable and everything being kept

everything they’ve built and accumulated over

transparent.

the past 20, 30 years was just swept away, overnight. It’s no fault of their own, it’s not

Are you still doing all this full time?

like we live in a war zone, where at any point you could be bombed, and lose everything, or

No no no, I had to get back to work. The

it’s not because they gambled everything

thing is, you know people would say, ‘Oh it

away, or they made a bad investment in a

seems like everybody’s forgotten’, but there

house or something, it’s force of nature. It’s

are still a few in the trenches that are still

been so long since anything has happened, so

really going hard. What I tried to explain to

the insurance aspect, if it was there it was

family and friends is that, in order for us to

minimal. I have some clients that do have

be able to keep helping and supporting we

insurance, from Acklins or whatnot, so it was

have to work. We have to earn an income, to

good to deliver some cheques to them. I

make sure our obligations are handled on this

went in the office bowing and whatnot, to

end, it’s not that they’ve been forgotten. Now

come through to help.

the key is for us to maintain some type of consistent flow of support, but we don’t want

Do you think that will be a change in the future?

people to become dependent either, because people also need to move on, and start to

I hope so, you know everything that happens

rebuild, and help themselves.

to us in life should be a learning experience,

Initially their [survivors’] response

44

and you come out of it either weaker or

was kind of, Oh well I didn’t get this and I

wiser and stronger. The island people

didn’t get that, or, the type of toothpaste I got

normally come out stronger and wiser, so for

I don’t use. So it really humbled a lot of

those who can afford to get insurance, I’m

people and forced them to step into a world

sure they will. I’m sure the insurance

and a way of living that they probably were

companies will do more as well to try to

not comfortable with. A lot still are living that

educate. I plan to host some sessions on the

islands to inform people. And we have to

but there’s nothing wrong with liking nice

look at designing plans with insurance

things. Now they’re meaningless, you know.

companies specifically for the islands; it’s a lot

Even when my son crashed my mom’s car, as

more expensive to insure them simply

long as he was alive (I was happy). I figured

because of their makeup, how they’re prone

my mom would blow a fuse or throw a fit,

to flooding and so forth.

but I think my mindset has impacted her

But it’s been a rough time for a lot of

mindset over time without her even knowing.

people. Here in Nassau we’ve been so

She was one who would, if a glass breaks or a

sheltered from it, so a lot of people here

plate breaks, ‘You know how hard I work for

don’t even know the magnitude of what

my stuff?’ If something is missing she can’t let

happened on those islands. We’re talking

it go, she’s still investigating. But this has put

about total devastation.You hear the stories

everything in perspective when it comes to

of your aunts and uncles just watching the

material things. Life is the only thing we need

water come up and a cousin swimming from

to value, everything else is insignificant. It’s

about a mile down the road to find a boat in

how we live. I think that if more of us realise

the backyard to get them out of the house -

we’re our here, many of us, because we’re

and these are people in their 60s and 70s - to

here for each other, we would move so much

try to get them into this boat to get them to

farther ahead as a country, one step at a

a church, so they could go upstairs in the

time.

church, you know? In a matter of hours. And these are people who have lived through storms and figure ok we’ve never been affected in this way, we’ve lived through many hurricanes and many floods and our house was always ok. But for some reason, with this storm, people who were always safe seem to have been impacted just the same.

Recently I have gone through this transition from the value I place on things.

Some people call themselves ‘tingsy’ - ‘I’m tingsy’. I would never put that label on myself, 45

My daughter went to Long Island after the storm. I sent her away to school. And she actually didn’t want to come back after the storm. She left, she didn’t want to come back.

Not even to visit.

Michael Carroll Landrail Point, Crooked Island

Daughter Meleena’s artwork appears in the WAH-KEEN gallery

Rum Cay

Like me for instance, ine goin buy no bunch a tings n’ put in the house, I could tell you that much. I went to North Carolina and all my sheets, oh God. Ain never put on the bed! Boy ine even! Chuh!

Dat een gon’ happen to me again! I gon’ dress up every day and wear lipstick and high heel shoes.

Letta Fox The Bight, Long Island

Rum Cay

Daniah Miller Daniah Miller was also part of the National Response and Reconstruction Unit; her team went to Rum Cay and San Salvador. She reflects on her experience:

Around 7 a.m. on October 20th, 2015, I was standing beside a runway with a group

stepping over fallen lamp poles and power

of architects and engineers waiting to board a

lines, picking our way through strewn debris

plane.

and the ravaged contents of homes and I remember looking up at the

businesses. I was taking pictures of a house

overcast sky and wondering if we would be

that had been severely damaged by the storm

able to travel that day. The air had an

surge and wind when a man walked over and

ominous feel, and I was uneasy. Nevertheless,

started speaking with the architect on our

we got the go-ahead to board the plane. Our

team.

job was to survey the damage that Hurricane

The house had belonged to his

Joaquin had done to our southern islands. My

mother. His troubled tone prompted me to

team was heading to Rum Cay and San

peek around the digital camera I was holding.

Salvador, two islands I had never visited. I

My throat closed up as he recounted the

whispered a short and fervent prayer as the

story of the night of the storm and how he

tiny plane roared to life and eventually lifted

rushed to help his mom gather her

us into the air.

belongings and relocate to his house. I turned

As soon as the plane landed and I

toward the coast and pretended to survey

stepped out onto the runway, I felt the cold

the waves to hide my tears. The pressing

sting of lingering destruction. A broken fence

stillness and overwhelming loss that

and rolling trash were all that greeted us in

surrounded me were a lot to handle. I’d

Rum Cay along with the same ominous

never seen that kind of damage before.

clouds and stiff wind we had left behind in

50

We spent a few hours gingerly

The local taking us around looked at

New Providence. A local graciously

me wiping my puffy face with my sleeve and

volunteered his time to take us around to the

said something that remains with me today:

areas that had suffered the most damage.

‘We will rebuild our island. We may not get

much help from other people and we may

survey the damage, and spoke with officials

not be able to make it as good as it was

and locals along the way. The air of optimism

before, but we will build it back. Because Rum

was undeniable. My spirits lifted when I saw

Cay people are strong people, survivors. No

neighbours helping one another hoist sheets

one died, and we thank God for that.

of plywood onto roofs and when I heard

Everything else we can rebuild’.

them speaking encouraging words of wisdom.

The gentleman whose mother had

One of our last stops in San Salvador

lost her house was nodding in agreement.

was at a group of homes on a hill directly

There was profound beauty in that moment.

across the street from the sea. The coast-

My heart was full as we drove back to the air

facing sides of almost all of the houses were

strip where the plane was parked.

severely damaged. The houses’ contents were

The sun didn’t break through the

strewn along the hilltop and down its slope.

clouds once during our stay in Rum Cay. By

As I was taking photos of one of them, an

the time we boarded the plane to San

older lady grabbed my hands and looked me

Salvador, I was damp and shivering; partially

in the eyes. She said, ‘Baby, we all have life.

from cold, but mostly from the realisation of

These things here can be replaced. But life.

how grave the situation was.

Always remember that life is what’s

The sky was just as overcast in San

important.You live that life in a way that

Salvador as it had been in Rum Cay, and

pleases the Almighty, and every day you do

would remain that way until we left to return

the best you can to be better. That’s all you

home. My body was beginning to ache from

can do’.

all the walking we were doing. My new boots

I would be lying if I said I didn’t mist

(and my soft feet) were being mercilessly

up as she was talking to me. The truth in her

broken in as I stepped fearlessly onto heaps

words resonated deeply with me.

of glass and lumber, through discarded

But even in the midst of all that

clothing and household wares, and over fallen

destruction, I could not help but notice how

trees and lamp poles.

beautiful our tiny country still is. I spent a lot

The San Salvador locals had already

of time looking at the ocean on those islands.

begun rebuilding their damaged buildings.

I am always struck by its breathtaking beauty

Their determination was palpable. We visited

and strength; seaweed hanging from ceilings,

local government offices and schools to

sand mounds blocking roadways, and window 51

panes stiff with salt were evidence of its tremendous power.

me. I had never seen destruction like that

As we stood on the highest point in

firsthand.Yet these people who had

San Salvador, and the site of one of the few

experienced so much loss ended up

remaining lighthouses in the Bahamas, I could

encouraging me. I cannot imagine what it

not help but draw a parallel between the

must feel like to be in their position, but I do

amazing structure and the resilience of the

know that we have a duty as fellow

Bahamian people. The site provides a

Bahamians to extend any kind of support we

panoramic view of the island. Few places I’ve

can.

been to have inspired such a feeling of

It is my hope that we will not only

humility. Spinning in a circle and looking down

remember the tragedy associated with

at the coexisting chaos and calm made me

Hurricane Joaquin, but the triumph, and the

feel so blessed that I could do nothing but be

rising up of Bahamian ingenuity and

in that moment.

togetherness. I intend to remind myself daily

As we left San Salvador and headed

of how blessed I am to have what I do, and to

back to Nassau, I began to ask myself some

let that constantly motivate me

hard questions.

compassionately aid those who are in need.

How much do we take for granted, and how much time do we spend amassing these things that can be taken away in one act of nature? How often do we sit and really listen to the needs of our fellow Bahamians, and how concerned are we really with those who have lost literally everything they possessed?

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The trip was a major wake up call for

I hope we all will.

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Under the direction of art teacher Natasha Turnquest, the

students of NGM Major High School in Long Island held an exhibition at Doongalik Studios Art Gallery in February 2016.

WAH-KEEN: Up & Down the Road of Transformation was an art therapy exercise conceived to serve as a measure of catharsis for the students, whose ages range from 11 to 18. The following were selected from the exhibition.

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As moving as these thoughtful, detailed pieces are, in many instances the artist statements are equally or even more so. Together, the words and images give us a view into how our children were affected by the hurricane, and how living through it has been imprinted onto their lives.

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Diego Ramacola, 12 Pettys, Long Island “A Hurricane Disaster” 2015 This is a drawing of what I saw out my east-side window during the hurricane. I only could have seen my neighbours’ homes and watched as the water got higher. There was also water rushing through the road like a river. Some people might have been scared but I was not.

Evan Cartwright, 12 Hamiltons, Long Island “Devastation of my house after Joaquin�

2015 The destruction of my yard and house was devastating it was a very scary experience to go outside to get into my garage to hear my house getting demolished.

Deniqua Hunt, 12 Buckleys, Long Island “My Experience of Hurricane Joaquin�

2015 I compared the hurricane to the Big Bad Wolf because the hurricane had forceful winds like the Big Bad Wolf and it was Bad and Horrible. In this picture the Big Bad Wolf is huffing and puffing the roof off, and also the wolf is blowing down a house and it is raining. The sun is out meaning that the hurricane is just starting and the house is down so imagine during the hurricane.

Aaliyah Adderley, 13 Morrisville, Long Island “The Horror of 2015” 2015 In my art piece, I am expressing what I saw after Hurricane Joaquin in the settlement of Dunmore in Long Island.

Everything was destroyed!!

This storm was very scary and extremely dangerous.

Luke Knowles, 14 Salt Pond, Long Island “Devastation of Joaquin” 2015 Hi. This is just a little part of the devastating Hurricane Joaquin.

I thought that this would be a thoughtful piece because fishing is a job of many people here in Long Island. Now only about two fishing boats are left in our harbour. Some have wrecked and will be unable to repair. In this piece I draw a picture of a fishing boat far inland.

It is drawn from head on if you are wondering. Holes, railings, and even the captain’s house were removed by the strong impact.

Hope you enjoy, thank you.

Jordan Ritchie, 17 Hamiltons, Long Island “In the Moment�

2015 This piece is a freeze frame of Hurricane Joaquin. You can see lightning, heavy rain, a roof slightly blowing off and some trees and various objects either snapping or blowing away. To let you visually experience the destruction.

A year after Joaquin, families and communities are still displaced, and there is still much to be done to restore the functionality of everyday civil and social services. If you don’t already know, find someone to ask about the state of Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay and/ or San Salvador. We live in a small country; if you have access to this magazine, it shouldn’t be hard to get details. We all lead busy lives filled with pressing issues, but we can still take a moment to listen to what’s going on in the lives of others. If you’re able to speak directly to a survivor of Joaquin, even better - providing that kind of emotional support goes a long way in helping people feel cared for, and not forgotten. Of course there are material ways to contribute to the recovery process too. Details about the organisations leading these efforts are listed on the facing page.

All boats rise with the tide, and if only for that reason, it behooves us to look out for every person who calls The Bahamas home.

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HeadKnowles

HeadKnowles has assisted those affected by Hurricane Joaquin in two phases to date. The first was immediate relief where donations were distributed as quickly as possible. The second phase is special projects. They include the rebuilding of homes, the HK-Vitamalt Orange Brigade Christmas Drive, a Christmas Plates Dinner and Build-ABackpack.

The rebuilding of homes is ongoing.

HeadKnowles is still accepting donations of books and computers for libraries, as well as furniture and cash. Clothing is no longer needed.

Donations can be taken to Gina Knowles at: Island Cellular 58 Rosetta Street Nassau, The Bahamas Cheques should be made payable to: “HeadKnowles Ltd. Deliverance” and can be dropped off at Island Cellular or RBC Account #057452883452 Pinder Enterprises, JBR, Tops Lumber, CBS or FYP - Acct “HeadKnowles Hurricane Relief” Gina Knowles headknowles@gmail.com http://www.headknowles.com/ Facebook: HeadKnowles Limited

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

Relief efforts are in the process of completion. The agency is no longer accepting donations from the public. They are in the final stages of rebuilding homes.

Ground Floor Churchill Building Rawson Square Nassau, The Bahamas (242) 322-6081/5 nema@bahamas.gov.bs

Red Cross

The Red Cross is still accepting donations.

They are in special need of beds, cleaning supplies, toiletries and food items such as grits. Donations can be taken to the Red Cross at JFK Drive.

94 John F. Kennedy Drive P. O. Box N 8331 Nassau, The Bahamas (242) 323-7370 info@bahamasredcross.com

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army partners with donors and organisations like NEMA and HeadKnowles in the collection and distribution of items to those affected by Hurricane Joaquin.

The Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters, 31 Mackey Street P.O. Box N 205 Nassau, The Bahamas (242) 393-2340/2745/2100 salarmy@coralwave.com

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The only road in Lovely Bay, Acklins

The gumelemi came back fast. Lignum vitae dead, but a lot of gumelemi trees and the wild tamarind all them come back. But the dilly trees and the res’ of them flowers, they dead. They get the salt water. The funny thing about it, pawpaws and tomatoes came and all that came. Pumpkin vines! Watermelon vines! I don’t know where it come from but it jus’ come! They came up after all that storm! We didn’t plant ‘em.

George Fox The Bight, Long Island

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