Before and after the great Hurricane Maria in 2017, WDF has committed to assist Dominica in its overall development, and now recovery efforts. Feb, 2018
The World Development Foundation is active, year round, visiting and assisting in the developing world. In the past year, WDF team have visited and assisted in development with personal and WDF donations to Sierra Leone, Haiti, Mexico, Grenada, and Dominica, to name a few. Prior to the storms there, WDF was instrumental in upgrading the safety and tools for two fishing communities in Dominica, during the team’s last visit. Dominica is an example of a beautiful community of people. Specific areas of development and recovery concern, follow.
• After the Hurricane/ Aprés l’ouragan
Prior to the last, most devastating hurricane season in recent memory, WDF sent its leadership team to Dominica Commonwealth in order to discuss SDG-related development. Afterwards, WDF redoubled its efforts. Feb, 2018
Dominica is a unique, volcanic, island nation that has taken great strides in eradicating pesticides and other forms of chemicals that might endanger their soil and water. Their fishing industry is respected throughout the region. With this in mind, WDF began to assist two major fishing communities to upgrade their fishing equipment, in order to improve both productivity and safety.
Sadly, Hurricane Maria washed away much of the island nation last fall. It was among the most devastated in the 2017 season – a season of considerable devastation throughout the Caribbean. Fortunately, WDF has redoubled his support efforts. Those relief efforts continue to date, far away from UN Headquarters but in support and at the request of Her Excellency Ambassador Loreen Bannis-Roberts from the Permanent Mission of Dominica to the United Nations.
In the late Fall, Dominica’s Prime Minister Skerritt addressed the General Assembly, at UNHQ in New York. The Prime Minister feared that Dominica was a victim of the Climate War, as he aptly named it, and asked larger countries to send their armies to fight against a foe he did not create nor have the capability to protect his people from. Tearfully, he said that he did not want to be an innocent victim here. A related, ECOSOC Conference reinforced the need. Thanks to WDF and many other major donors, relief is on the way. More than that, WDF hopes that Dominica can develop in a more resilient, modern way with this new assistance, toward of future storms. In fact, due to its leadership, WDFs founder was named Special Envoy to the Prime Minister for Asian Development toward Dominica Reconstruction. Larger donations are augmented by private investments, large and small – the smallest relations with the local communities in Dominica and among supporters at the United Nations keep the memory of the devastation current.