Children lead the way in Old Road cleanup
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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| Bernadette Fraser and her son show where Hurricane Omar tossed a tree through their window |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-A group of eleven children and eight adults representing the Community Achievers Project (CAP) took the initiative to assist some of the hardest hit residents in St. Kitts with their Hurricane Omar cleanup efforts on Saturday (Oct. 18).
The group spent roughly four hours removing garbage, tree limbs and stones that were preventing some residents from coming and going to their homes.
Among the children who volunteered were Denny Harris, Esha Woodley, Imani Phipps, Ajamu King, Dekrawnya Williams, Allandre Fraser, Elyaivon Woodley, Koara Williams, Petina Williams, Marlon Fraser and Ariel Rouse.
Victoria Baucom, co-founder of CAP, said that she was inspired to put a volunteer group together after her business partner, Sydney Berkley showed her the extent of the storm’s damage.
“Sydney gave me a tour of the destruction on Thursday (Oct. 16) and when we were coming through Old Road I saw this older man working so diligently trying to get his home back together without an ounce of self pity in him and that kind of struck me.”
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| CAP volunteers after their cleanup efforts in Old Road. (From L to R: Sydney Berkley, Brian Amess, Zita Williams, Alice Plichta, Liz Amess, Rebecca Kuben and Victoria Baucom) |
“I felt that this area was not getting the publicity that it required because it is off the main road and you don’t see it. People didn’t know that there are houses down here that are completely destroyed. These people really needed someone to come here and start doing something so they could move back in.”
Brenda Fraser said that the surprise arrival of the CAP group was an answer to her prayers after her home and her spirits were nearly destroyed by the storm.
“During the storm I was in my house and about two o’clock I had to run out because I heard the noise. The water was coming in the house and a tree came through the bathroom window. So, I ran and woke up the children and we fled up the road. There was no time to grab our valuables or passports because we had to run for our lives.”
Upon returning from shelter around 5:30 am, Fraser found her neighborhood was buried in garbage and debris swept from people’s homes.
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A small part of the waste piled up after Omar
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“There were bottles, microwaves, ovens, beds and a lot of other things piled up very high. I was so afraid, nervous and shaky when I first saw how bad it was. I didn’t know who I was going to get to help me and then Victoria came with her kids and I just thanked God,” Fraser said.
She added that even though the storm had completely knocked her life off course, preventing her from even being able to attend her job at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, the volunteers of the CAP helped her make a major stride toward getting back to normal.
One volunteer, Zita ‘China’ Williams of Cayon, said she “felt like a hero” after bringing two of her children and one grandchild to assist in the cleanup efforts.
The efforts put forth by CAP, however, could not complete the work that needs to be done in the Old Road area. One home near Fraser’s that is owned by a newlywed couple currently off island on their honeymoon had the entire back wall broken down. In other areas, mountains of debris remain with no containers or bags to put them in and have them hauled away.
Baucom remained hopeful that the example put forth by the CAP would encourage other volunteers to assist those in need.
“We want to show that there is love on the island. I think that is what the Community Achievers Project is all about, showing love and that people, no matter where they are from, can come together and help each other.”
~~Adz:Right~~
