. . .while Scotiabank helps hurricane victims up north
While B.T.L. was helping out in Belize City, another well-known Belizean business entity was doing its part in the Corozal District. Janelle Chanona has the story.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Seven weeks after Hurricane Dean destroyed her home in San Antonio Village, this morning Adelita Gilharry became the new owner of a one bedroom house.
Adelita Gilharry, Homeowner
“I mi deh da the well di haul some wata and I see wah man stop inna wah necktie and my daughta seh mommy, mommy somebody di hail yu. Well when I come to this person I feel nervous, I wah know weh dis person di hail me fah. When he tell me, Miss Adelita wah house di come pan di way fi yu, he seh yu need fi clear somewhere fu put it. I feel so good. I mi caan believe that wah house di come fi me fi true.”
The man in the tie was an employee of Scotia Bank’s Corozal Branch. According to Managing Director Pat Andrews after Dean’s devastation in the north the bank’s head office in Canada donated one hundred thousand dollars in building supplies and homes for the hurricane victims.
Pat Andrews, Managing Director, Scotia Bank
“We approached builders, mostly in the Spanish Lookout area, the ones who do these pre-fab treated lumber homes and they were good enough to give us some good pricing and after we identified families, we were able to put together the proposals to get homes for them.”
And Scotia’s contribution means that tonight Gilharry and her twelve children have a proper roof over their heads.
Adelita Gilharry
“I thank the good Lord at least we get a comfortable spot more than dat one still yet.”
Three blocks away, life after Hurricane Dean has also been tough on the Pena family.
Marina Lopez, Homeowner
“Es un poco dificl, porque nostromos no tenemos nada, no tenemos cama, corchones. Estamos quedando como podemos.”
Marina Lopez, her husband and their five children have been living in this tiny room on the land where their palmetto and thatch house once stood. This morning they were the second family to benefit from Scotia’s kindness.
Alexander Pena, Homeowner
“We wah come in fi right now how it stand because of how we di sleep right now inna dat lee room, it no comfortable and well I will do as fast as I could to put my current because I have to put it on the front of the house and put in whatever we could put in for the mean time and try to see that we buy new beds and things for the house and try paint it because we appreciate that they give us a nice house, we happy bout it, and I non know how to tell them… I’ve been waiting for a nice house like this.”
Pat Andrews
“Our country, Corozal, lots of people who are in need of assistance and I think that by us reaching out and connecting with them, I think it’ll make a difference in their lives and that’s what we want to make, a difference in people’s lives.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Within the next two weeks three more houses will be delivered: two in Chan Chen and one in San Joaquin.
