More assistance for the hurricane-ravaged Bahamas
– CDC receives almost $2M cheque from GBTI
DPI, Guyana, Friday, October 4, 2019
As the Government of Guyana continues to assist the hurricane-ravaged Bahamas, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has received yet another monetary contribution from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI).
GBTI’s Executive Director, Richard Isava presents a cheque to Director-General of the CDC, Lt. Col. Kester Craig.
In a simple handing over ceremony, at the CDC’s headquarters at Thomas Lands, Georgetown, GBTI’s Executive Director, Richard Isava, presented a $1.9M cheque, which derived from the bank’s ‘Hurricane Relief Fund’.
According to Marketing and Communications Officer at GBTI, Nadia De Abreu, as part of the bank’s corporate responsibility, a commitment was made to contribute financially to those affected by Hurricane Dorian. It also encouraged its customers, staff and members of the public to join the relief effort, as a fund was also set up.
“The fund was closed on October 1st and the funds raised were today handed over to the Civil Defence Commission, which is coordinating the national support efforts,” De Abreu noted.
In the meantime, Director-General of the CDC, Lt Colonel Kester Craig relayed that the commission continues to work closely with the Bahamas Government to ensure life returns to normalcy in the quickest possible time for those who were affected.
Lt. Col. Craig said the Government of Guyana will also be assisting with other forms of recovery. “This is not the end as people are still living under hard conditions and living in shelters.”
The CDC Director-General also commended GBTI for leading the initiative, as well as other donor agencies for assisting and supporting the cause. “What the CDC will be doing is consolidating all the funds that we raised from the telethon that we partnered with Rotary, those from GBTI, and other persons who donated directly to us because we also have a hurricane relief fund and then we will be submitting same to the Bahamas government.”
Lt. Col. Craig said the CDC also fully supports the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the regional inter-governmental agency tasked with disaster management in the Caribbean, which is on the ground in the Bahamas.
Hurricane Dorian, a category five hurricane, hit The Bahamas on September 1, 2019.