My name is Peter, my family & ​I arrived in the Dominican Republic last month to visit family and friends, after eight long years away. Having grown up here, it was great to be 'home'.

The first week was amazing, but on Saturday, everything changed. Devastating floods hit Montellano, the neighbourhood where I grew up, including my mum's house.

Over 2,500 homes were flooded, leaving the people of this humble town, in mud & mess. Most had very little prior to the floods & were just surviving. It is heartbreaking to see the struggle of this beautiful community.

I never thought I’d be in a position to have to write something like this. Right now my family and our entire neighbourhood are facing really tough times.

It seems recent deforestation in the area could be the cause of the river bursting its banks resulting in severe flooding throughout the community. The entire town has been heavily affected. What was once a safe and comfortable place is now damaged, with belongings destroyed and a long road ahead to rebuild.

Seeing my mum go through this has been incredibly hard but greatful I'm physically here to help.

Like many others in the area, she’s now dealing with the emotional and financial stress of starting over as these communities don't have insurance or any major government assistance.

I’ve set up this fundraiser to help her and our neighbours get through the immediate aftermath and begin rebuilding. ALL funds raised will go towards:

• Essential items and daily living needs

• Clean-up and repairs

• Replacing damaged belongings

If you’re in a position to help, no matter how small, it would honestly mean a lot to us. And if you can’t donate, simply sharing this would make a big difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can give, it truly means more than I can put into words.