by Nisha Paul

• March 2024 blaze left 17 people homeless
• CHANTIVIC raised more than EC$1 million in cash donations and secured over EC$77,000 in building materials
• Each house equipped with 3-kilowatt grid-tied solar system under Government’s Solar for All initiative

Equipped with rooftop solar systems designed to slash electricity bills, 5 newly rebuilt concrete homes now stand in Chantimelle, St Patrick, as a visible sign of recovery almost 2 years after a devastating fire ripped through wooden structures, leaving 17 people homeless.

On Sunday, the families received the keys to the houses, marking a new beginning after the March 2024 blaze that reduced their wooden homes to ashes.

The new homes were made possible through a wave of national and diaspora support. At the heart of the effort was the Chantimelle Fire Victims Relief Fund Committee (CHANTIVIC), chaired by Faith Phillip. The committee raised more than EC$1 million in cash donations and secured over EC$77,000 worth of building materials. Funding and materials came from the Government of Grenada, local financial institutions, private businesses, community members and Grenadians living abroad.

Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, who attended Sunday’s handing over ceremony, urged the recipients to show their gratitude by “taking care of the homes and reducing future risks…to ensure that we do not have to relive such a tragedy again, not only in that village, but in any of the communities throughout the length and breadth of Grenada.”

The Prime Minister revealed that Grenada “loses an average of 50 homes to fires each year.” Many, he stressed, are “avoidable.” “It is important for us to appreciate that we also have to take care of our assets and engage in behaviours that reduce and minimise the risk of fires or any other man-made disasters that can lead to loss of property or worse yet, the loss of life,” he cautioned.

Prime Minister Mitchell also challenged the committee not to dissolve now that the houses are complete. “Remain a permanent feature of life in Chantimelle,” he urged. “Continue to identify other worthy causes you can champion on behalf of your community.” He praised the committee’s leadership as a demonstration to the rest of Grenada of “what you can achieve coming out of the ashes of destruction,” saying it proved that transformation cannot rest on politicians alone.

The newly rebuilt solar-powered homes in Chantimelle, St Patrick. Screenshot GIS live

The 5 homes are not just stronger — they are smarter. Rebuilt in concrete for resilience, each house is equipped with a 3-kilowatt grid-tied solar system under the Government’s Solar for All initiative, led by the Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy.

Director of the Renewable Energy Division and National Ozone Officer, Leslie Smith, explained that the systems are designed to significantly reduce, and in many cases eliminate, electricity bills for the homeowners.

Parliamentary Representative for the area, Joseph Andall, who initiated the establishment of CHANTIVIC to spearhead recovery efforts in the wake of the tragedy, described the handover as the result of a massive shared commitment. “What we are seeing today is the culmination of a massive community commitment that was shared not only by the people of Chantimelle but by people from throughout Grenada and in the diaspora,” he said.

For the 5 families, the road to recovery has been long. The scars of that March 2024 fire have not disappeared. But Sunday signalled a decisive step forward — from uncertainty and displacement to security and renewed hope.

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