Holy Trinty Primary School To Rise From The Rubble

Primary School in Barbuda About To Be Reborn With Toronto Help

Photo by Horace Thorne

By Stephen Weir

Toronto help is on its way to a still battered island of Barbuda.  A shipment of building supplies and an airlift of windows and doors will soon be on its way to help in the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Primary School.

Hurricane Irma passed directly over Barbuda in September 2017. Irma was the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, and it reached peak intensity just before landfall, when 180 mph winds damaged almost every structure on the island, flattening many of them. Just days later, a mere “normal” hurricane, Jose, also passed over Barbuda.

“ Most people think that life has returned to normal on Barbuda said Toronto volunteer Eric Delfish. “But that is not the case. Some are still in temporary housing, so while this shipment does answer a need, help is still needed.”

The 20ft long container is currently in an Etobicoke forwarding company and soon will be on its way to the Caribbean. SunWing will airlift Windows and electric wiring to Barbuda this month.  The items are currently out of stock and are not expected to be available for shipping before the week of April 8th. 

The supplies from Home Depot have been paid for using money donated to the Canadian wing of the nation’s Hurricane Relief Fund. The group actually putting together the relief container is called ABERF (Antigua and Barbuda Emergency Relief Fund) and is based in Toronto.

“ This shipment not a donation / supplies drive right now, but we can use some more (building) supplies,” Delfish told the Caribbean Camera.  “If there are items available please let me know!”