PHILIPSBURG--Immediately after Hurricane Irma struck St. Maarten on September 6, 2017, civil servant at the municipality of The Hague Rishmie Chotkan organized a gala benefit event for victims of the natural violence, which drew some 350 visitors from the Hindu community. This week, Chotkan is visiting the island to make donations to schools and several organisations and to explore possibilities for future aid and assistance.
“I was shocked and devastated when I saw the news about Irma on TV and read about it on the social media, and about how much destruction and grief the storm caused in St. Maarten. I immediately wanted to do something for the inhabitants of the island. What started out with seeking a location where I could collect and store relief goods turned into a fully-fledged gala evening with music, performances by comedians, an auction and food and drinks. The event was sponsored by many parties and generous donations from the Hindu community in The Hague,” Chotkan said.
“It was a wonderful evening with much togetherness,” she said. During the gala event, several St. Maarten women provided the audience with first-hand information about the devastation caused by the storm.
Chotkan, who is very socially-committed, arrived in St. Maarten on Saturday and will be leaving for The Netherlands again on Thursday. Guided by local liaison Tanja van der Bok she made an island tour and visited several primary schools. School items such as stationery, booklets, pens and markers were donated to St. Dominic and Genevieve de Weever primary schools.
She also visited the Hindu temple in Cole Bay. She handed out treats to senior residents at St. Martin’s Home in celebration of her 32nd birthday on Tuesday.
The state of, in particular, public primary schools nine months after Irma came as a shock. “I was shocked and disappointed. The private schools have in the meantime been repaired, at least provisionally, but many public schools are still very much as they were after the storm. I have seen doors and windows that have to be closed with the use of pieces of rope,” said Chotkan.
Middle Region, which was among the most damaged districts of the island, was also visited. There, Chotkan handed out goodies to children she met on the streets.
“There are many similarities between disadvantaged neighbourhoods in The Hague and in St. Maarten,” she said. Together with Tanja Frederiks of Sister Marie Laurence School and in cooperation with the city of The Hague, Chotkan will be investigating the possibilities to set up a policy-based framework for increased cooperation between schools, parents and districts, which may include the appointment of community parents.
