By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

DONATIONS poured into the Rebuild Bahamas National Telethon last night to aid recovery efforts after Hurricane Joaquin.

Weeks after the monster storm, thousands of Bahamians from the southeastern islands are still grappling with the loss of homes and possessions, but are now focusing on rebuilding their lives.

The initiative, a collaboration with the Bahamas Rotary Clubs and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Employers Confederation (BCCEC), has set a million dollar goal.

However, organisers told The Tribune that if this goal was not met, both organisations would continue fund-raising initiatives until the target is reached.

The event was held in the Imperial Ball Room at the Atlantis Resort.

Edison Sumner, chief executive officer of the BCCEC, said the aim is to focus on and achieve long-term sustainable goals.

He said: “Our approach has been slightly different than other initiatives in that we will continue to support the efforts of providing supplies to the communities, but our approach is to look to the more sustainable development as well and that is infrastructural development, rebuilding schools, rebuilding trade and commerce on the islands by restoring businesses on the islands by providing clean water to those communities as well.”

Bahamas Rotary Clubs District Governor Felix Stubbs added that because both organisations have similar ideals, the partnership is a perfect one that is sure to have success in raising a substantial sum of money to assist Acklins, San Salvador, Long Island, Crooked Island, Rum Cay and Long Cay.

He said: “In 2012 when there was the earthquake in Haiti we did a telethon to raise funds for the earthquake victims there and we partnered with the chamber then. It was very successful and we thought what better way to do it again. We know what we can do with the chamber because their goals are very similar to ours and so we make great partners.”

He added: “Our challenge is to make sure that we raise funds to help to finance whatever development work is needed in the islands to bring those people’s lives back to some kind of normalcy. We find that often times that soon after disaster a lot of people go into the damaged area but then over time they kind of go away.

“Rotary’s philosophy is that we are there for the long term. We want to rebuild industries and we really want to rebuild people’s lives. So we do things like counseling services, making sure the schools are rebuilt. We are going to help the fishing industry, we help with those kinds of things.”

Hurricane Joaquin battered the southeastern and central Bahamas as it hovered over the islands on October 1 and 2. Prime Minister Perry Christie has said it will cost at least $60m to rebuild and recover, with that figure expected to increase as more government assessments are completed.