Hurricane Maria swept through the Caribbean in September, leaving behind a path of destruction like no other.
Island nations are struggling to recover in the wake of the storm and finding aid in unlikely places.
Most recently, a group of Norwegian sailors came together to express their love for the island of Dominica through an event to raise money and awareness about the extent of damage to the island.
"A number of Norwegian sailors have over the years enjoyed sailing in the Caribbean sea, visiting many of the wonderful windward islands," said sailor Tuva Lokse, who spoke at the fundraiser. "Some of us especially fell in love with the beautiful nature island of Dominica. We wanted to give something back to the warm and hospitable people of Dominica in their efforts to rebuild the Island after Hurricane Maria."
The sailors from Oslo ran a donation campaign and invited other sailors and sailing enthusiasts who have fallen in love with the island to give at an evening of Caribbean entertainment and talks on topics ranging from sailing to climate change.
The group transferred nearly $5,000 to the Dominica Hurricane Maria Relief Fund, the official fundraising channel established by Dominica's High Commission in the United Kingdom.
This is just part of an ongoing effort to continue fundraising, noted Lokse.
"We hope to inspire other sailing communities in Scandinavia to do the same and we hope to visit again sometime in the future," she said.
Despite the island-wide destruction, there could be a silver lining when it comes to rebuilding efforts. The prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, pledged to rebuild the country into the world's first climate resilient nation.
While Dominica undergoes a massive rebuilding effort, government officials and the Dominican people project a feeling of hope for the future.
"Dominica is very resilient," Kevin Francis, executive vice president of the Dominica Hotel & Tourism Association told TravelPulse after the hurricane.
"We are a resilient people and we are all working hand in hand to rebuild the country," he said. "Now is the time for large corporations and business with expertise in renewable energy to come forward and pilot a project that will help Dominica achieve energy independence and resiliency."
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