Dear Editor,
So I opened up the Herald online to read updates pertaining to our island. Not the Bahamas. Us, in St Martin,
I am sorry they suffered what they have. Truly I am. I suffered the same. I lost my house and my business. So many many of us did.
Has St Martin forgotten what Hurricane Irma did to us? What little help we received?
Sorry, I never received more than a bottle of water after Irma tore off my brand new roof. I begged for water as I was breastfeeding my son. I needed the extra hydration. I was ignored. I will never forget how this island treated me after Irma.
My brand new roof blew off, which the developer (Koozie Development) ran away from honouring a verbal guarantee that he would replace. Buyer beware from them with A&A Supplies. Very shady people … .
As I sat under the bathroom sink with my 11-month-old child. My entire roof disappeared. I was told by his lawyer that “something hit the roof” again, a brand new roof. Buyer beware of this developer.
Not one charity gave us a tarp for our roof as Maria rained on it and flooded my house.
I will never give to a single charity on this island after struggling as a single mum rebuilding. Two years later I still rebuild.
I don’t look like a charity case. I don’t present myself as a charity case. So to this date my family rebuilt with zero help from this island. Don’t you dare ask me for charity for others. How dare this island ignore us and now ask for handouts. Shameful. I am disgusted.
You charity organisations should be ashamed of yourselves. Red Cross, I have words for you that cannot be published. Look within first. Where were you when I had no roof? Where were you when I needed help? Right … I don’t fit the charity “profile”. You charities, all of you, make me sick. I rebuilt from my own pocket. Now you want a penny from me to help others?
I remember calling the police for help, I called the fire department for help. All they said was, “Am sorry we cannot help.” They gave all their handouts to their family. Rice, water, generators, etc. – all the donations worldwide. Where did they go? To their family. The police and fire department gave all donations to their family.
I actually have a neighbour who bragged about her fire-fighting brother who gave her bags and bags of rice for life from China! She never even offered me a bowl of rice. Imagine that.
Friendly Island …
I have lost complete respect for the police and fire department on the Dutch side since Irma. They never helped the layman during hard times.
Bring on the Dutchman, they also never helped. They will never help. They only help their own kind.
I do believe that is called “bigotry” “racism”.
Mary De Francesco
