See how we’ve helped communities rebuild as they prepare for another
hurricane season

[ [link removed] ]Mercy Corps

This month marks the one year anniversary of Hurricane
Dorian — the most powerful storm to ever hit the island nation of The
Bahamas. Within hours, Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands were decimated and
thousands of Bahamians were left without food, water, shelter, power or
medical supplies.

The challenge for The Bahamas at this [ [link removed] ]one year milestone after Dorian
is complex, with an approaching hurricane season during the height of the
coronavirus pandemic. Yet in many ways, our year of work and partnership
has uniquely prepared us for this moment. As we address hurricane
recovery, storm season preparation plus COVID‑19, two of our top
priorities remain the same as a year ago: clean water and job recovery.

[ [link removed] ]Learn about how our reverse osmosis system in
[ greener ]greener solutions The Bahamas eliminated the need for 57,000 plastic
bottles every day.

 

Access to clean water is at the center of many of our projects across the
world. In our role as a connector, we collaborate with people to build
sustainable solutions for recovery that make sense for the people we
serve. That’s why partnership with local leadership and other
organizations is key to our work in The Bahamas.

When Dorian contaminated the water aquifer, we partnered with Mission
Resolve to install a reverse osmosis water treatment system — turning
saltwater into freshwater — with the goal of helping local water systems
and suppliers get back on their feet.

This July marked a moment of success, when we transferred management of
the water distribution points — which were supplying 15,000 gallons of
fresh drinking water per day — to the Grand Bahama Utility Company. As of
September 1, the quality of the island’s municipal water supply is finally
on track to being fully restored. The utility has announced that 70% of
households’ water is no longer salty and can be safely used to drink and
cook with again. The remaining 30% will receive water through the
utility’s own technology and wellfield until the aquifer restoration is
complete.

After addressing immediate needs like food, energy, and water supply in
those first days and months after the storm, we took on the job of helping
with long-term economic recovery.

This support is even more important today, as small businesses —
especially those dependent on tourism to survive — struggle through the
crisis of COVID‑19.

[ [link removed] ]Listen to my audio-post about how businesses are
being affected by COVID-19 in the wake of Dorian [ hurricane ]hurricane update
recovery — and amidst preparation for the next big
storm.

 

We’re providing emergency relief grants to micro, small and medium
businesses affected by the pandemic to help them pay for recurring
expenses while they’re unable to open for business and generate revenue.
We continue to provide access to our online mentoring platform,
MicroMentor, for entrepreneurs to connect with experts who can help them
pivot to new opportunities and business models that make sense in the
current landscape.

[ Jonathan ]Jonathan in The Bahamas
Dorian damaged Jonathan’s office and destroyed most of his equipment, but
with a small business grant from Mercy Corps, he was able to get his
business up and running and his staff back to work.
The risks and challenges for the people of The Bahamas are still great,
and the future — with extreme weather events, a pandemic and an unstable
global economy — remains unclear for us all. With the help of
humanitarians
like you, a powerful model
has been built over the past year. In The Bahamas and worldwide, we are
providing stronger, more sustainable systems for the life and livelihoods
of families and small business owners facing crisis and its long-term
effects.

With gratitude,

[ Paula ]Paula

Paula Miller
Mercy Corps Country Director, The Bahamas

For over a decade, Paula has led programs in livelihood, disaster
preparedness, water, sanitation and health. She believes the Bahamian team
is at the heart of helping people recover and build resilience.



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