Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique Hurricane Relief

Hello,

My name is Esmond “DJ Bones” Joseph, currently living in North London, UK. I was born and raised in Carriacou - a beautiful island of 13 square miles that is a sister isle of Grenada along with Petite Martinique.

On Monday 1st July, Hurricane Beryl tore through the Windward Islands, making direct landfall on Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The islands were battered by 150mph winds, which left behind complete destruction. The vast majority of the island's population are now without homes and their livelihoods as they pick up the pieces of this incredible, gut-wrenching loss.

Our people are suffering and are grappling with where and how to start over. Everyone on these islands is in need today, and we are appealing to you to kindly donate to help us help them in getting access to the essentials they need as they slowly come to terms with their immense losses and start picking up the pieces to rebuild what was once paradise.

All proceeds from this campaign will go directly towards hurricane Beryl relief efforts. This will be used to ship supplies down to the island and also purchase much needed materials and supplies to ship also to help with the rebuilding process. In the time since this campaign was launched, I have been working with a group of individuals from the tri-island state residing in the UK to ensure we have the greatest reach and that we are in a position to make the best use of the donations we receive.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

How will we be using your donations?

We are extremely grateful for the donations received so far – every little helps, and will go a long way in supporting our communities on island through this unfolding crisis. We have worked closely with our contacts on the islands and relied on information from Grenada’s National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) to understand the areas of greatest need, and the avenues through which your donations would have the greatest impact. Guided by this, the funds raised through this campaign will be used for the purchase and shipment of:

Long shelf-life non-perishable food items.

Sanitary products, toiletries, hygiene kits, baby products (nappies, wipes, formula and clothing).

First aid kits and medical essentials for shelters and clinics

Emergency equipment – flashlights, batteries and battery packs, solar lights, and solar portable generators for shelters and essential services facilities.

Temporary shelter material – tents, tarpaulins, sleeping bags, blankets, mats and pillows.

Water and food storage canisters/containers

We are actively monitoring the announcements made by NaDMA and information provided by the Grenada High Commission UK to ensure we are abreast of changing needs and priorities, and may add/remove/reprioritise items in this list as the situation demands.

The emerging picture on the ground shows that almost the entire island is homeless and that the need for temporary shelter is the most pressing. Therefore, purchasing temporary shelter material to ensure people have access to a safe, secure temporary space while wider relief efforts unfold is our greatest priority. We are also aware that other islands in the CARICOM region have started to provide some food items, water, and other emergency supplies, so our focus is mainly on those items that are difficult to find in the region, but easier to purchase here in the UK.

What are we doing to ensure the items purchased make it to the intended beneficiaries?

All shipments of aid purchased using your donations will be sent directly to NaDMA, who would be responsible for the distribution of the items across Carriacou and Petite Martinique. As the government agency leading the disaster response, NaDMA has setup island-wide volunteer teams that are working around the clock to ensure an equitable distribution of aid received to the islands and are currently best placed to do so, as they are constantly assessing and adjusting to changing conditions on the ground.

For shipment of the items purchased to NaDMA, we have partnered with Gilbert Link Shipping Ltd, who specialise in bulk shipping to the Caribbean. We are also planning shipment of high-priority items via air transport, arranged through the assistance of the Grenada High Commission UK (to avoid unnecessary delays in some critical items to the islands).

How will we keep you updated?

Transparency and accountability are paramount to us. We will be issuing regular updates to this page, with videos, pictures and short posts that record what we are doing. Additionally, a record of the use of the donation pot may be found at this link. Here, you will find details of the items purchased, the quantity, the associated cost, and links to scanned receipts, along with a usage tracker.

Where we contribute funds from the donation pot to any local agencies or any local relief funds (such as the Grenada Disaster Relief Fund), we will provide a full record of this via an update to the page, with details of the transfer added to the linked record above.

We will also provide updates on shipments made to the island, and will try our best to get updates from Carriacou and Petite Martinique as these are being distributed.