Dominica

On the Caribbean island of Dominica, Bahá’í youth in the capital city of Roseau painted a mural on the Bahá’í Centre as a gift for the bicentenary. The community rallied around the project, with many people donating supplies such as paint. The building had not been painted in many years, and the youth began by scraping off the old paint and reinforcing the foundation of some of the walls with stones collected from the sea. A few weeks later, when Hurricane Maria tore through the island, many people in Newtown sought refuge at the local Bahá’í Centre, one of the few structures that was still standing following the devastation caused by the hurricane. Although there was some damage to the Centre, it was largely left unscathed by the storm and the mural is still visible. In the month since the hurricane, prayer gatherings have been held every morning at the Bahá’í Centre with those who are taking shelter there, as well as with anyone who walks in freely. A community-wide prayer gathering, open to the public, was planned for the weekend and youth have been helping to clear roads and deliver aid around the island in anticipation of the bicentenary events.