Yesterday March 20th, 14 men and women at the Rosalie Bay Resort graduated from a course in the construction of resilient homes in Dominica. IsraAID, aiming to support Dominica’s need for more skilled construction workers, conducted specialized training for these 14 young people in East Dominica. IsraAID in partnership with IOM enhanced the capacity, skills and knowledge of the young people in basic construction which will allow them to support themselves and their families as well as contribute to Dominica’s development.
During the 30 days training, the community construction workers were engaged in constructing new homes for the elderly and people with disabilities who were still living in shelters since Hurricane Maria, completing 4 resilient homes.
The training consisted of five days of theoretical training on construction techniques to build resilient homes. Topics included: Basic Carpentry, Resilient Roof Building, Life Skills, Team Management, Leadership and Communication. The training addressed the common barriers to success in the work place and long-term employment by providing workshops in life skills including leadership and team work. Participants were also equipped with basic tools that they will require to work in the construction sector.
Mahalia Donatin Dodds, a young woman participant from Marigot, shared that she decided to join the construction training in order to learn skills to rebuild her own home in a resilient way, as it was damaged after Hurricane Maria. She said ‘This training is to better yourself, so why not take the opportunity to change your life’.
John Roach – Chief Youth Development Officer, Principal of the Castle Bruce Secondary school and DLP candidate for the Castle Bruce Constituency Octavia Alfred, and HannahGaventa – Country Director of IsraAID – Dominica all addressed the gathering.
IsraAID, a leading humanitarian non-governmental organization, has been in Dominica since just a few days after Hurricane Maria, working to support the recovery of the island, especially within the education sector, child protection, shelter and livelihoods. IsraAID responds to needs on the ground, working in partnership with local NGOs, communities and the Government of Dominica, helping to build a climate resilient nation.
