The government has signed a total of 33 contracts to address housing in various parts of the island in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which devastated Dominica last year September.
The initiative will address housing solutions in Trafalgar, Stockfarm, Colihaut, Portsmouth and San Sauver and was signed at the Lily Valley Basketball Court in Trafalgar.
The project is being funded by the Ministry of Housing and Lands in collaboration with the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, said at the signing ceremony that every roof that is covered “is one person less who will be exposed to the elements.”
“And every home we build for a family in Dominica is one less family in Dominica who is without a home calling theirs,” he stated.
The Prime Minister pointed out that sometimes people want to measure progress by “big things” but it is the little ones that count.
“Sometimes, the little things, the step by step, add up and make a huge difference in the lives of our people,” he stated.
MP for the Roseau Valley, Dr. Colin McIntyre, thanked the late President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez and its current leader, Nicholas Maduro for the “significant contribution” to the housing revolution in Dominica.
“President Hugo Chavez of blessed memory is very important to us, of course to President Maduro, I want to thank you upfront for that gesture,” he stated.
The breakdown of the different projects is 12 apartment units at Trafalgar, reconstruction of two homes in Lily Valley and renovation of six petro-casas in Lily Valley; reconstruction of ten petro-casas in Stockfarm, ten in Plat Ma Pierre in Colihaut, ten in Portsmouth and renovation of seven in San Sauveur.
A thriving democracy requires its citizen to stay engage, not only to criticize the government but to offer support and incite when necessary. This is one of those instances where criticism is in order. Its boggles the mind that Venezuela is in any position to assist Dominica. This is not US propaganda, talking from experience, living conditions in Venezuela are deplorable. Not to be ungrateful, they need help themselves.
For the first time in 31 years I am ashamed to be a Dominican, you mean to tell me the funding for the housing is coming from Venezuela. Yes I can agree our country has bad leadership, are you seriously telling me given the current living situation in that country our leadership is taking funding from them. Shame, shame, shame, shame on the leadership& anyone who condones this. We were hit by a category 5 hurricane last year& seeing we can understand suffering we as a country should be encouraging Venezuela to treat their citizens better and feed the children who are in need not rake from them.
I would like to ask how many houses that has been repaired since Maria. Just giving monies all about the place and not giving or saying how many and in what area they have completed.
This government is irresponsible and does not care a damn about the future of the country as long as Roosevelt Skerrit wins an election to stay in power so he could finish hide his evil work. Let’s compare Skerrit’s actions and behaviors to that of late PM, Pierre Charles, who said some of his decisions would probably cost him an election, as long as it benefits Dominica. Skerrit on the other hand is, to hell with Dominica as long as I stay in power. Skerrit just reminds me of a man that was married to a woman and lived in her grandmother’s house for 23 years. Though he was rich, he never renovated the old house, never painted it, would replace a leaking galvanize with a used one, never put her name on his account though he had several abroad and would only do the basic things to ensure he could eat her guchi as long as he was the man but in the event he was dead or divorced she would remain poor. That’s how Chavez treated Venezuela and that’s how the UK treated us.
Not sure I’d put the uk in the same category as Skerrit. They do have some morals, after all.