Residents return to Douglas in time for Christmas

On November fourth when we visited Douglas Village in Orange Walk, the situation was grim as flood waters had been contaminated by overflowing pit latrines in the village. The condition posed such a major health hazard that the Orange Walk branch of NEMO quarantined the area until the waters receded. Aside from the losses the residents suffered, most of the folks were also downhearted because they were sure they would spend Christmas at home. But as fate would have it, the waters have receded, the clean-up is underway and residents of Douglas are now going back home to the small village once rendered unsafe by Tropical Depression sixteen. Our team travelled to Douglas Village to see how people are picking up where they left off one month ago.

Marion Ali, Reporting
This was how Douglas Village looked only one month ago. The place was dingy and smelly, flooded with contaminated waters which had mixed with waste from latrines in the village.

And as we reported, the only indications of life were birds chirping and dogs barking. Throughout the village there was no other sign of life. It was as if the villagers had picked up in a heated rush and fled their homes before a major tsunami swept in.

But the hand of nature dealt them a gentle favour lately when north winds dried up the waters and allowed the villagers to resume their normal way of life at home. We met many families bustling about, trying to put things back into perspective.

Eder Correa, Resident, Douglas Village
“We returned yesterday and we are very, very happy because we are back in the village. We had almost a month out of our homes. We were in San Pablo, but thanks to God we’re back and everything is looking back to normal; cleaning up, putting up bags, and all those stuff we have to move to put back inside the house, pack it good.”

Marion Ali
“Did you suffer any flood damage?”

Eder Correa
“Just the floor crack.”

Marion Ali
“What did you find when you came back?”

Dinora Correa, Resident, Douglas Village
“Animals dead, dirt, all kinda animals like frogs. It doesn’t smell good, but we want come back home. The floor is all crack up.”

Marion Ali
“But you’re glad to be home right?”

Dinora Correa
“Yes, we glad to be home.”

Carmen Carillo, Resident, Douglas Village
“It’s very difficult because we have to move, we have to get help to go out and we can’t leave things low because the water goes up high. So everything has to go out and then we have to come back, bring it back and then reset the whole thing. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of work. So that’s what we have to do. It’s not very often, like every seven eight years and we just can’t leave the house. This is where we have our house and we just can’t live in a little stick house out there and we have our good house so we decide to come back.”

Roberto Zapata, Resident, Douglas Village
“Lotta work fi come out and lotta work fi come in.”

Marion Ali
“What you have to do now?”

Roberto Zapata
“Well, right now we di try fix up wi house and check di damage to di water and crack di…”

Marion Ali
“You have water right now?”

Roberto Zapata
“No, we noh got no wata right now. Right now we just di try fu—we got wah tank way dah back. We done got chlorine; we di use dat.”

We met Roland Elijio at the same spot riding into the village when we visited on November fourth. Today Elijio was in much better spirits as now he was not visiting home to feed his dogs, but he was coming home to stay.

Roland Elijio, Resident, Douglas Village
“The last time wen you come it was bad noh and right now It’s much better.”

Marion Ali
“In what sense?”

Roland Elijio
“In the sense that the water run back and all of us are here again.”

Marion Ali
“When you move back?”

Roland Elijio
“I move back bout three days now and we are fine.”

Marion Ali
“What kind of losses you suffered?”

Roland Elijio
“Oh minor little things. I left some things inna my house and di water get it destroyed, some trees and coconut, oranges.”

Marion Ali
“No household?”

Roland Elijio
“Household, yes. I left my washing machine, my washing machine went bad and other little things. Right now I’m going through it; what I will throw away and what I will…”

Marion Ali
“Last time I came here you were on your way out from feeding your dogs. How are they?”

Roland Elijio
“They’re doing good. They have been by my house right now.”

Today we also observed many villagers moving back their household belongings into the village as they prepared to scrub and wash away whatever effects the floods had caused on their homes. Carmelita Correa was fetching water from a vat to wash since the village had not yet regained access to running water.

Carmelita Correa, Resident, Douglas Village
“There’s no water right now. We need some water to wash the clothes and we are using this water.”

But Chairman of Douglas Village, Jose Zetina told us that that problem will be corrected shortly.

Jose Zetina, Chairman, Douglas Village
“The running water that we had in the village, we don’t have any presently because we had a problem with the pump but are going to make sure that they have running water today. Now, with the drinking water; purified water, we are working along with Red Cross and they have told us that they are going to look into it to provide us with purified water as soon as possible.”

As for the health condition, Jose Zetina, says there are minimal minor illnesses.

Jose Zetina
“Just a few coughs and colds are reported but the doctors will be going today and tomorrow they will assist the people there but no serious illness has been reported at this point.”

We also found children happily playing in their yards as they await the opening of school tomorrow.

Jose Zetina
“Tomorrow we are going to start classes in Douglas—we are going to continue because we never stopped giving classes. We are to continue in Douglas there, everything is ready. We have the yard, the yard is clean, the school is ready and we are going to start tomorrow morning.”

And while the children prepare for classes on Tuesday, families like Roberto Zapata’s have also put the flood behind them.

Roberto Zapata
“We feel happy fi come eena di house again.”

Marion Ali
“So Christmas tree gwein up?”

Roberto Zapata
“Ih done deh up already.”

Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

Chairman of Douglas, Jose Zetina says the majority of villagers have moved back into their homes and public health officials have been checking from house to house for signs of diseases.