Transcript:
After back-to-back hurricanes hit southwest Louisiana in 2020, Roishetta Sibley Ozane and her six children were left homeless.
Ozane: “I didn’t have any money in the bank. I had children who were hungry, and we had lost our home.”
For weeks – before FEMA assistance arrived – she got by with the help of her community. Local churches paid for a hotel and donated food and clothing.
Once she was back on her feet, Ozane wanted to provide the same help to others, so she started an organization called the Vessel Project of Louisiana.
The group makes people more resilient to disasters by first helping them with their basic needs.
Ozane: “We ensure, first, that people are fed. … We ensure that people have safe and secure housing.”
But they do not stop there. The group also educates people about the harms caused by the fossil fuel industry and rallies community members to oppose oil and gas development in the region.
She says oil and gas companies pollute the air and warm the climate, while making big profits. Meanwhile …
Ozane: “The community lacks resources and assistance for our most vulnerable citizens.”
So she wants to help people connect the dots between the fossil fuel industry, climate disasters, and the day-to-day struggles that make it hard to recover.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
