In Dominican Republic, Fishing Community Gets Help from ADRA

By: Wilkin Santana, Inter-American Division News

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in the Dominican Republic recently finished the construction of a boat dock, built to help the family-owned fishing businesses in the Boba community of Maria Trinidad Sanchez Province. Thirty homes were destroyed and dozens of lives affected when a tidal wave caused by Hurricane Irma hit the coastal community in September 2017.

In addition to the boat dock, ADRA has been rebuilding dozens of homes and has provided two fishing boats. ADRA will help complete the rebuilding of two more homes in July 2018 and will continue to provide water, food vouchers, and other relief supplies to people in the area.

“ADRA has been assisting more than 133 families with food vouchers in an effort to help families in the aftermath of the hurricane and boost the local economy,” said Roberto Matos, ADRA Dominican Republic director. “These fishermen lost their way of supporting their families, and local tourism was affected. So after learning more about assisting their needs, ADRA oversaw the project for the community.”

Government and community leaders welcomed the initiative and thanked ADRA and its volunteers for invaluable assistance during a short launching ceremony held earlier this month.

“You have taken a big load off,” said Arsenio Martínez, representative of the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, as he thanked ADRA and the church for the boat dock. “Two previous docks were destroyed twice by storms, but this one for sure will last longer.”

ADRA made the dock movable so it can be removed and protected in the case of a storm threatening the area, said Matos.

“ADRA is happy to be part of helping families in the aftermath of emergency situations like this one,” said Matos as he presented the dock to the president of the Association of Fishermen in the Boba community.