I met Jaime Kailani and her best friend Kim, when I was 16. They had just moved to LA from Hawaii. I was at a club in Downtown Los Angeles (yes, we all had fake IDs, don’t try this at home, kids!) and a pretty girl named Kim complimented my hair in the ladies bathroom. That compliment sparked a conversation and fast forward 22 years – we three are still friends.
As far as my hair that night, I had just started going to a new hairdresser – her name was Solange and she had come to the USA from a little island called Dominica. All the islanders go to her shop – people from Jamaica, Belize, Barbados. From little boys and girls to grandmothers and grandfathers, all kinds of people get their hair done at Solange’s shop. Over the years, when I mention my hairdresser and tell people she’s from Dominica, they typically say, “Oh, you mean Dominican Republic?” And I say, “No, Dominica.” It seems not many people have even heard of Dominica.
The other day, I was talking to Kim on the phone from Solange’s hair salon – yes, I still go there – and somehow the topic of Dominica came up. Would you believe that after all these years, we realized Kim’s mother, who tragically passed away when she was just a baby, came from Vielle Case, a small village close to the very same place that Solange came from? Roseau, Dominica. Near the French island of Martinique, Dominica is home to nine active volcanoes; countless rivers and waterfalls; swathes of rainforest; the 2nd largest boiling lake in the world; virtually the only place where the region’s first people, the Kalinago, still survive; and some of the most scenic hiking trails in the Caribbean. In short, it’s an amazing place.
Since most people have not heard of a place called Dominica, most have not heard about the storm – Hurricane Erika – that hit the country on August 27th.
Tropical storm Erika ravaged the island. Its streams and rivers swelled into raging torrents that ripped away land, buildings and roads, and steep mountainsides became deadly landslides that engulfed homes and some of the people within them. It was a tragedy almost beyond words and in the months and years to come as Dominica gets back on its feet again, the memory of what happened in August 2015 will continue to haunt many.
“My heart aches at all of this loss: For the families who have lost loved ones. For the country, which is not a rich country, and has suffered such damage to its infrastructure. For my friends and everyone on the island, whose lives there will be very, very difficult. And for everyone who won’t be able to know the parts of the island I did, because they’re buried under a landslide or washed away entirely.” – Molly McHugh
Since 2007, the m.a.m.a. earth mission has been to use the power of Art, Music and Nature to make a change for the better, locally and globally. We try to make it easy for people to give back in their own communities and to causes close to our hearts. So here are a few ways to help Dominica:
- Donate Relief through Amazon.com >> bit.ly/Amazon4Dominica
- Find a drop-off location or sign up to BE a drop-off location >> bit.ly/DropOff4Dominica
- Donate a little or a lot! >> bit.ly/GoFundMe4Dominica
The moral of the story? Be nice to people. That girl in the bathroom or the lady who gave you a haircut might turn out to be one of your best friends. And help others whenever you can – a kind gesture, a loving word, a helping hand. Today, the people of Dominica need our help.
Please take a moment out of your day to give a gift, big or small, to the men, women and children of Dominica.
With love,
Andrea Miller
Creative Director
m.a.m.a. earth
Please send any inquiries to andrea@4m.erdd.us. Follow us @4mamaearth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest news and updates!
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