The former head of the Civil Engineering Department of the University of the West Indies has offered to assist residents of Aripero and Rousillac whose homes were damaged during heavy winds and rains last Thursday.
Chairman of the Siparia Regional Corporation Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh said former head of the Department Richard Clarke wrote to him offering assistance.
In an email, Clarke told Ramadharsingh that for the past 32 years the St Augustine Campus of UWI had been conducting “research in affordable hurricane and earthquake resistant housing.”
This, he said, had resulted in a roof design and independent wall design that won the Niherst Prime Minister’s award for Scientific Innovation and Invention in 2013.
Clarke said, “sufficient research work has now been completed that the products can be implemented in the field.”
A special characteristic of the new roofing and wall system is that they are comprised of simple elements which, Clarke said, “can be fabricated on a do it yourself basis, and also on a community basis, thereby drastically reducing labour cost.”
Clarke told Ramadharsingh the offer was “primarily motivated by the needs of those whose roofs were destroyed and those whose roofs are exposed to a similar fate.”
Ramadharsingh is expected to meet with Clarke today.
He told the T&T Guardian he was happy that the “university that we spend so much money on could come back and give to communities like this in low-income areas.”
Ramadharsingh said a team will go out into the community “and look at fastening the homes more securely.”
While the assistance to the Aripero residents will be a pilot project, he said: “It will assist low income families who are unable to build a secure home, many times they build a basic structure without reinforcements and reinforcing the galvanize.”
In all 26 families, with a total of 110 people, were affected by last Thursday’s natural disaster. Ramadharsingh said they are now finding their way back into stable conditions.
On Monday employees of Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) visited the community and presented hampers which included medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, groceries and water to the affected residents.
Ramadharsingh said while the Corporation had assisted by distributing mattresses and tarpaulins there was a lot more to be done. “The residents have filled out the forms and are now awaiting word from the National Self Help Commission on how soon they will get funds,” he said.