Two Ways to Help Dominica Recover from TS Erika

Three-hundred and sixty-five rivers crisscross Dominica’s 290 square miles, a marvel of nature that makes this island singularly sweet for eco travelers and the marvelous people who live here.

Nature’s blessing’s, though, often come with a curse, a notion that played out in tragic fashion earlier this week in Dominica.

You’ve probably seen the news reports – torrential rains from Tropical Storm Erika causing Dominica’s cherished rivers to spill out all over the country, yielding massive flooding, widespread infrastructure damage, at least 20 killed and many more still missing.

The impact of the storm extends to all corners of the island, though by many accounts, Petite Savanne, an area near and dear to my heart, seems to have fared the worst.

Peaceful and remote, yet warmly welcoming, Petite Savanne is where I was introduced to my first illegal bush rum still; where I literally had the opportunity to drink in an important aspect of Dominica’s authentic cultural heritage amid impossibly lush, tropical rainforest surroundings.

This is an area so bereft of sustainable economic opportunity that the government turns a blind eye to illegal rum production here so that residents can make even the most modest of livings.

Petite Savanne is also home to most of the amazing ladies and gentlemen who serve guests of Jungle Bay Resort; people I felt convinced would do anything to make my stay in Dominica the most special travel experience of my life.

Now, these people need our help more than we could ever need theirs.

Please join us in supporting a fully independent fundraising drive being put on by our friends at Jungle Bay to directly benefit the people of Petite Savanne. All monies raised – 100% of every dollar – will go to those affected by this week’s catastrophic flooding.

To donate, please click here.

A separate fundraising effort with ties to the Red Cross can be found here.

Last updated by Steve Bennett on 08/29/2015.