MONTEGO BAY, St James — A grateful Donesha Ennis is still staying with her father as she tries to recover from Hurricane Melissa, but at least she’s now sleeping on a dry mattress.

The Mount Peace, Hanover, resident is one of 300 business process outsourcing (BPO) workers whose employer, Strobe Etech Communication, (Etech for short), presented with care packages and replacement items valued at millions of dollars. The presentation took place in building five of the Montego Bay Free Zone in St James on Tuesday.

Ennis was brought to tears as she reflected on her loss and finally having something comfortable on which to sleep.

“I have to say thanks to Etech because right now the bed has been completely soaked for weeks…I have to say thanks to everybody. The first thing our country manager did was to ask, ‘How was your home? How was your daughter?’ I have to be thankful for that because tonight I can say I am happily sleeping on a brand new bed. It does not matter what the bed is going to be on, but I am going to be on a bed and I am forever grateful to Etech for this,” said a tearful Ennis.

She told the Jamaica Observer she made preparations for the storm, “but unfortunately, it just was not enough”.

Ennis recounted seeing new zinc being thrown around by the strong winds, not knowing that it was coming from her roof. A section of her house was also crushed by a tree that fell on it.

Despite her ordeal, which included a “forty leg” (centipede) landing on her chest, Ennis tried her best to protect her five-year-old daughter.

“My daughter was behind me so I was trying to keep her secure while going outside. And, when I went up, I realised that a section of my house was already gone. Documents, I thought they were secure, but unfortunately they were not fully secured. The windows were already out. I could not save those but I still tried to keep my daughter safe even though the zinc was already gone,” stated Ennis.

She has no idea when she will be back in her own house.

Despite the challenges being faced, Ennis had words of encouragement for others who were impacted by the storm.

“In time of need, in the time of trouble, God just steps in. He sends help for the helpless; hope for the hopeless. When you think everything is gone and you think this is it, I know that the God above steps in because today we are alive and I am happy for that,” she said.

Among the items Etech Jamaica provided to its employees were food, bottled water, queen-size beds, linen, sheet sets, cookware, countertop stoves, and refrigerators.

Etech’s Country Manager Yanique Troupe told the Observer that two days after the storm the company used its workspace as a command centre for supporting and checking up on employees and providing a place for them to come in, charge their phones, get supplies, get a warm meal and take a shower.

“Seeing that 42 days later…we were able to really help people start over, I am elated by that feeling, knowing that we are a part of the solution in helping them to rebuild,” stated Troupe.

She said assistance came from the global Etech family — the parent company and clients.

Etech’s Finance Director Horace Gyles said the company decided to help team members after seeing the impact the storm had on the country, including the location from which Etech operates.

“We decided that we have to help our team members because they make us who we are. We decided to give back. Some of the members lost everything and we could not expect to work normally without us being of help to them. So we reached out,” stated Gyles.

He said those who received a helping hand are overjoyed by the company’s gesture.

In operation in Jamaica for the past 15 years, Etech currently employs more than 500 people at the 32,000-square-foot space it occupies within the Montego Bay Free Zone.

Vice-president of the BPO and Logistics Division at the Port Authority of Jamaica Gloria Henry was happy to see the support her client has provided to its employees.

“What is happening here today is more than just handing out relief supplies. It is about showing resilience. It is about showing the connection. It is about the strength of the BPO leadership in Jamaica and, particularly, Etech, where Yanique has done a tremendous job in putting together these suppliers. And you can hear, it is what the people need. It is the bed, it is the mattress, it is the appliances, it is the supplies that they need, like water to get them back on their feet and to give them a sense of relief,” said Henry.

Etech employee Donesha Ennis, who lost almost everything during Hurricane Melissa, gratefully accepts this new bed from her employer. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)