Hurricane Richard’s victims will celebrate a brighter Christmas

But in more positive news, victims of hurricane Richard will celebrate Christmas a little brighter. The Belize Red Cross today provided funding to victims from two communities that were ravaged by the category one hurricane on October twenty-fourth. Families in Hattieville and Gracie Rock are getting a boost in the rebuilding process, with a voucher program that will finance home repairs. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

For residents of rural Belize who were directly affected by Hurricane Richard when it ravaged their communities over a month and a half ago Christmas this year won’t be as much about ham and turkey as it will be about rebuilding their lives.  It has been several weeks since the category one storm tore through their homes yet families here in Hattieville remain in dire need of humanitarian aid.  Despite suffering its own setback a few weeks ago the Belize Red Cross is continuing its outreach to assist as many needy families who have been overlooked by relief efforts in the wake of the disaster.  Lilly Bowman is spearheading an initiative which should see victims repairing their homes this Christmas.

lilly bowman

Lilly Bowman, Director, Belize Red Cross

“The voucher program for house repairs was an initiative that was included in the Belize Red Cross Plan of Action for the response after Hurricane Richard for those families that were affected by the hurricane.  The American Red Cross was very swift in responding and they chose to assist us in the area of shelters.  So this program is in the form of a voucher program and we’ll be giving vouchers for different amounts to families in the Hattieville area and the Gracie Rock area who have been affected to the extent that the damage is minor, major and totally destroyed.”

While many were swift in picking up the pieces other families like the Paulinos whose homes were totally destroyed by Richard will be receiving vouchers to purchase the necessary tools and materials to mend damages.

Lilly Bowman

“There are different levels that through assessments done and through discussions with the chairperson and the village council and one to one assessments at the homes of these people we were able to determine the level of damage that they sustained and the vouchers will define what level of assistance they will be receiving as well.”

Upon learning of their plight the American Red Cross teamed up with their local counterparts to see how best they would be able to help hurricane victims.

laura hevesi

Laura Hevesi, American Red Cross

“Following Hurricane Richard the Belize Red Cross did a number of assessments and they did a plan of action of the support they needed to provide to the people of Belize.  One of those pieces in the plan of action was a request for assistance in shelter.  The American Red Cross answered that call to the plan of action and sent technical support and financial support to put together this voucher program.”

As expected the list of needy residents grew rapidly resulting in a screening process that saw it being narrowed down to a little over sixty families.

Lilly Bowman

“The program is a total of a hundred and sixty thousand dollars.  We’re looking at sixty-nine families, thirty four in Hattieville and thirty-five in Gracie Rock who will benefit from this program and the program has a deadline of thirty days.  The voucher expires after thirty days from [when] it was issued.  So today we’ll be going into Gracie Rock and we’ll be distributing these vouchers for those families in Gracie Rock.”

On the morning of December third the interior of the Red Cross headquarters on Gabourel Lane was gutted by fire during an act of arson.  The tragedy hasn’t deterred the organization from lending a helping hand to make the holidays a little brighter for the many families affected by Hurricane Richard. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

The Ministry of Works, we’re also told, held its own briefing today on its poverty alleviation project. And again, on this event, the public is being denied information since the government excluded Channel Five from attending the proceedings.