One year later, Irma interviews published in ‘Resilience – SXM Open for Business’ | THE DAILY HERALD

Cover of “Resilience – SXM Open for Business.” The interviewees in Resilience all either own or run a business on either side of the island. Their perspectives are unique, but their stories are alike in a number of ways. “I think all of them have showed tremendous courage and perseverance. When they decided to stay and rebuild, there was no room for hesitation. I admire how they cared for their staff, kept a positive mindset and most of all made do with whatever they had. It is astonishing how inventive these people got through a disaster of this magnitude,” the author said. Resilience will be published exactly a year after Irma. Van der Woude: “It seemed like a symbolic date to me, a day to reflect upon the events of the past year. We must not forget what happened, because we can learn from Irma in terms of preparation. But mostly, we must celebrate our comeback, success and strength.” Van der Woude (1981) is a writer and a Dutch teacher. She grew up in Amsterdam, where she worked as a copywriter and later as a teacher at high schools and colleges. She was introduced to the Caribbean in 2013, when she moved to Curaçao to teach Dutch and English. In 2018, just months after hurricane Irma, she moved to St. Maarten. Resilience is not so much about Irma as it is about the year following the major hurricane. The island was destroyed, but the business community showed immense power in fighting back. Tourism, the backbone of the local economy, took a significant hit. This book is about the recovery from that hit. Interviews with Norman Wathey, Ton van Kooten, Gee Money, Gibson, Jagtiani, Etnel and many more offer a lesson in inventiveness, creativity and fighting spirit. Resilience can be ordered in Kindle format via Amazon for US$ 8.99. The paperback version will be released soon.


Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/80342-one-year-later-irma-interviews-published-in-resilience-sxm-open-for-business