FIRSTCARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL Bank, of which First Caribbean Jamaica, headed by Raymond Campbell, is a subsidiary, has reached an agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). The Rev. Joseph Atherley, M.P., CDERA Council Representative and the Regional Co-ordinator for CDERA, Jeremy Collymore signed the MoU with the Executive Director of Marketing & Product Development, Francis Lewis and Country Head & Retail Director for St. Lucia, Lestor Cox. The MoU facilitates:
An annual contribution to CDERA's Regional Disaster Response Mechanism through the establishment of the FirstCaribbean Inter-national Bank Disaster Management Fund;
Training and certification of builders and artisans to encourage a strengthening of the housing stock across the Caribbean to make it more resistant to natural disasters;
Assistance with the production of literature on disaster mitigation and national building codes for home-owners;
A scholarship and training in Disaster Preparedness;
An education programme on disaster mitigation and preparedness for First-Caribbbean employees around the region.
Francis Lewis, executive director of marketing said, "One of the realities of living in this region is its vulnerability to natural disasters. This MoU with CDERA demonstrates our commitment and desire for establishing strategic partnerships with credible organisations doing valuable work in an area of tremendous need."
FirstCaribbean's corporate headquarters in Barbados will act as the executing agency for the bank and CDERA's regional headquarters in Barbados will be the executing body on behalf of its member agencies around the region. FirstCaribbean International Bank's MoU with CDERA will assist the agency in maintaining an immediate and co-ordinated response to any disastrous event; securing, collating and channelling information to the relevant persons around the Caribbean; mitigating and eliminating the consequences of disasters; establishing and maintaining adequate disaster response capabilities among member states; and mobilising and co-ordinating disaster relief.
