The Dominica Association of Industry & Commerce (DAIC) has joined the international community in coming to the aid of sister island St. Lucia which was ravaged by Hurricane Tomas during the final weekend in October 2010.
Since the passage of the storm several reports have identified the lack of drinking water as a major constraint to live on the island.
Following up on a suggestion by Norman Rolle of Valley Engineering Sales & Services, the DAIC embarked on a project to source water and ship same to the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce for distribution to the needy. The first request was to DOWASCO who was willing to supply some 2.5 million gallons bulk water at no charge to the DAIC. The absence of a receiving facility for bulk water at Castries resulted in this effort being discontinued and bottled water opted for.
With financial support from DCP, Belfast Estate, J. Astaphan & Co. Ltd., The Griffon Bank, Benjoseamoss, Springfield Trading Ltd., PW Bellot & Co. Ltd., Archipelago Trading, Dominica Brewery & Beverages Ltd., Valley Engineering Sales & Services, Miniyas Co. Ltd., and with discounted invoices from Tropical Shipping and DASPA, a container of close to 1000 cases of 1.5 Lt bottles will depart Woodbridge Bay Wednesday evening for St. Lucia.
The entire effort represents a tremendous collaborative and logistics exercise by the private sector at a time when global forces and natural externalities are not being kind to Small Island developing States and the media’s appetite for failed ventures is insatiable. The DAIC can herald this effort as an indication of what can be achieved through collaboration and cooperation of private enterprise without the involvement of the State.
The St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture has indicated that the Red Cross will supervise the distribution of the water.
send water to haiti
This water should not be commercialized. It should be made availabl to those in need.
Dont’ just send this water to St Lucia only but our water should be sent all the way to the United States. I recently met a gentleman In Barbados but he is from Grenada and I was so happy to hear how he spoke about Dominica water “”being the best water in the world. He said “I have never drank such good water” and to prove his point he had our bottled water shipped to Grenada without informing his co workerrs of where the water was coming from. They had the same reaction.The best bottled water he had even drank. Dominica need to capitalize on this drinking water. I leave in the US and if i could find a way to market this water up here I would.
“The DAIC can herald this effort as an indication of what can be achieved through collaboration and cooperation of private enterprise without the involvement of the State.”
I like this statement. We can take a leaf from the private enterprise. We all can achieve something collaboratively if we come together and do what we have to do and it does not have to involve the state. People speaking and speaking negative take note. You can do something in your communities instead of talking, let us come together and see action in our various areas. The government cannot do everything.
NOw that what i am talking about COMPROMISATION, to find SOLUSION to help thoese in need.That is the kind of spirit Dominica needs,comming together of diffrent sectors to be shakers and movers, in helping thoes in need. Come ON People Lets Get Down To It We Got The Power And We Can Do it. DOMINICA needs that can of Spirit.
As I always say, Dominica is the bread basket of the Caribbean. God Bless the land of my birth, Dominica.
Good job. Hope this will bring a measure of comfort to those who need it most, realizing that this (water) is one of humanity’s greatest need.
God bless Dominica.