Clinton Global Initiative

COMMITMENT TO ACTION

Restoring School Infrastructure and Housing in Dominica

Commitment by Digicel

In 2018, Digicel committed to repair or rebuild seven schools and 360 homes in Dominica that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Maria. In collaboration with partners including PJ Construction, IsraAid, and the Government of Dominica, Digicel will focus its efforts in communities on the eastern side of the island and in Dominica's Kalinago Territory that were badly impacted by the hurricane. Digicel will rebuild seven primary schools as well as the homes of the families whose children attend these schools. To support local capacity building, Digicel will also train 100 community members in building techniques and provide community workshops on risk mitigation and disaster preparedness. Digicel's commitment will positively impact more than 1,500 Dominican children and adults.

Overview
Summary

Commitment

Restoring School Infrastructure and Housing in Dominica

Launched

2018

Est. Duration

1 Year

Estimated Total Value

$1,500,000

Region

Latin America & Caribbean

Countries

DOMINICA

Commitment by

Digicel

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

IsraAID; Office of the Prime Minister of Dominica; Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Water Resource Management for the Commonwealth of Dominica; Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development for the Commonwealth of Dominica; PJ Construction
Details

Through this commitment, Digicel will rebuild seven schools and 360 homes on the island of Dominica to address the damage from Hurricane Maria. Activities will range from repairs to full rebuilding, dependent on the conditions of each school. Digicel will use the services of P J Construction (a Haitian construction company) to rebuild the schools and partner with IsraAid, already active in the Kalinago Territory of Dominica, to rebuild the houses. The objective is to rebuild these seven schools and the 360 homes of the parents and children attending those schools. To support local capacity building, Digicel will also train 100 community members in building techniques and provide community workshops on risk mitigation and disaster preparedness to 70 adults and 300 school children in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

January 2018: Contract signatures and mobilization of PJ Construction and IsraAid.

February 2018: School and Home construction

March 2018: School and Home construction

April 2018: School and Home construction

May 2018: School and Home construction

June 2018: School and Home construction completed

Background

On September 18, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on the Caribbean island of Dominica with intense rainfall and winds of over 160 MPH, causing catastrophic destruction. The government's Post Disaster Needs Assessment found that Hurricane Maria had resulted in damages totaling over $900 million. The island's physical infrastructure was particularly affected; according to the government's Post Disaster Needs Assessment, 90% of housing experienced damage, with 15% of homes having been destroyed, and an additional 75% experiencing varying levels of damage. Educational facilities were also heavily impacted; 41% of schools have been deemed in need of full reconstruction, with many additional facilities requiring repairs. 100% of Dominica's students have been affected to some degree by the hurricane.

Partnership Opportunities

Digicel is seeking school furniture, books, and other didactic material once the schools are completed. Digicel will provide all financial resources and supervision work for these projects.

Progress Reports

December 2018

Digicel Foundation had undertaken to rehabilitate seven primary schools on the East Coast of Dominica following the devastations caused by Hurricane Maria. Subsequently, the Ministry of Education reduced the number to six as the Parliamentary representative had previously sourced another donor agency to address. The Concord Primary School, Sineku Primary School, and Castle Bruce Primary School are now fully complete and are in use for school sessions.

A total of six schools were rehabilitated through Digicel’s Humanitarian Project. The number of students, teachers, and staff impacted were 480, 55, and 15, respectively. Digicel’s contribution to the school rehabilitation project impacted positively on both direct and indirect beneficiaries. With the continuation of classes at their newly refurbished schools, students now feel a sense of belonging and security.

Additionally, Digicel committed to re-construct a number of homes aligned to the pupils and staff of the committed school, in partnership with israAID. This project is now fully complete as at August 31, 2018 with roof reconstruction works undertaken to 109 homes.

Through collaborative efforts – in partnership with Digicel, other donor agencies have provided support the students, teachers, and families of the schools Digicel reconstructed. United Way Trinidad has contributed furniture kits for each classroom including a teacher’s chair and desk, black boards, bookcases, shelving units, filing cabinets, among others classroom items. Additionally, they have also procured jungle gyms for five of the six schools as the sixth already had a structure in place.