The Sixth DIPECHO Action Plan for South Asia Is One of The
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National Disaster Preparedness Day 2012 1 An Eventful Day in Shyamnagar Background apprehend Shyamnagar Upazilla of Satkhira district has the looming threat and are actively involved been in the focus of the news media after in preparing themselves to confront the devastating cyclone of 2009 that wreck another Aila . havoc in the sub-district on 29 th May. Cyclone Aila , as the catastrophic event is Rehabilitation to Resilience termed by experts, perished more than 190 The Sixth DIPECHO Action Plan for South lives in the coastal belt of Bangladesh Asia is one of the humanitarian projects leaving millions of people to spend daily life funded by ECHO to instill a culture of is unprecedented state of misery. disaster preparedness The condition was not among the highly better for the ones who vulnerable class of survived. With damaged Bangladeshi people. crops, washed away DIPECHO VI, as the livestock, uprooted project is commonly houses and inundated referred to, is being shrimp ponds, people implemented by an were left under the open alliance of six sky without the most international NGOs, basic necessities like food, water, clothing otherwise termed as the and basic sanitation. Persistent absence of NARRI consortium. jobs for the hand to mouth class forced Out of the 10 districts of Bangladesh where many daily laborers to migrate to DIPECHO is currently in progress, ActionAid neighboring districts in search for a better is implementing the action plan in four: living. Dhaka, Pabna, Khulna and Satkhira. The Till date the international community, donors, NGOs and other civil society The Sixth DIPECHO Action Plan for members have been continuously engaged South Asia is one of the humanitarian in providing relief and rehabilitation projects funded by ECHO to instill a support to the victims of the cyclone. The culture of disaster preparednes s among the European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO), especially, has highly vulnerable class of Bangladeshi been actively funding the various schemes workspeople of DIPECHO revolves around four on providing food security, shelter, WatSan focus areas: Capacity Building, Community and livelihood. preparedness, Mitigation and After more than three years of nurturing, Responsiveness of institutions. the affected community is starting to return Keeping in line with its principle objective, to normalcy. With money earned from DIPECHO VI is progressing to enhance the various cash for work and cash for training resilience of communities and institutions. interventions, the benefitted households In Shyamnagar, ActionAid—along with its are buying boats, planning saline tolerant local partner NGO, Jagrata Juba Shangha seeds and re-building their houses. (JJS)—is involving School Management However, absolute immunity from further Committees (SMCs), Community based torments of cyclone or tidal surge is a Organizations (CBOs) and Union Disaster distant dream. The people of Shyamnagar 2 Management Committees (UDMCs). On the national anthem, the student set out to household front, the project is creating march on the neighboring roads in a rally awareness among ultra poor segment with chanting the slogan, May the Disaster particular focus on socially marginalized Preparedness Day be successful. women, persons with disability, elderly Subsequently, they gathered in the largest people and children. room on the school to watch a cartoon film that was developed by ActionAid in earlier Aiming Awareness phases of DIPECHO to impart knowledge of Shyamnagar commemorated the National disaster preparedness. Disaster Preparedness Day 2012 along with “Students are the key to our future and if the whole country on the they know how to face th 29 March 2012. For the disasters our future is pretty dwellers of the sub- safe,” assured Moksed Ali the district, the day began head teacher of the school. with remembering the “Since the children love such horror of Cyclone Aila events, other NGOs in the but finished with the area should take up similar hope of greater ability to activities for schools.” confront disasters. A few kilometers away, News Feature Neeldumur Secondary school was engaged The day began with the residents of in a similar fanfare. Considering the age of Shyamnagar being delivered with a the grown up children, however, two more different newspaper. Today’s daily had a events were added to the day’s schedule. A special page dedicated on Cyclone brief orientation from the head teacher, Mr. Preparedness. The article focused on key Suresh Mondol focused on the prevalent measures to be taken at different stages of Students are the key to our future and if cyclones: Warning Phase, during cyclone onset and post disaster phase. The page also they know how to face disasters our future bore messages from the Honorable Member is pretty safe of Parliament, the Upazilla Chairman and the elected representatives of Burigoalini issues of fatalism and the importance of and Padmapukur Union. awareness among students. School Sessions This was followed by an Essay competition on the topic “Disaster Preparedness.” The The first school event of the day took place results revealed that students were in Kalbari Government Primary School. The obviously preparing for weeks in advance children turned up early in for the exam and gave the anticipation of the occasion teachers a very hard time that was being planned by selecting the three best the teachers and DIPECHO essays. A total of six essays staffs for the past couple of from two sections of students weeks. were awarded by the School Management Committee. After paying tribute to the nation and singing the 3 “Of course I have been prepare themselves to reading about confront disaster threats preparedness in various better. billboards, but what I learned during the past two “This is a far better way of weeks for the competition helping people than doing was absolutely different,” just relief and rehabilitation explained the eighth grader, works,” informed the Sadia, after being awarded honorable chairman of for the best essay. Padmapukur, Mr. Amzadul Islam. “The people are “I’d always want to remember what I learning how to save themselves. They learned from writing this essay, and when I didn’t know it during Aila so they suffered. grow up, I’d help my family prepare for Since they know it now, I believe the losses storms,” committed Mushfiq, the winner are going to be lot less.” from the tenth grade. The fair was followed by a pot song I’d always want to remember what (traditional Bengali song with images I learned from writing this essay, rolling behind the performers to better convey the message being sung). A local and when I grow up, I’d help my artist was involved who has been staging family prepare for storms pot songs for years now. With his group, he customized a song that specifically Community Events addressed the key issues of disaster preparedness. As the sun approached the zenith, the community people were visiting in a The show went on for around 45 minutes Disaster Fair that was arranged in and the response was overwhelming. “I Pakhimara Cyclone Shelter of Padmapukur arranged a community announcement Union of Shyamnagar. The fair was open to yesterday because I feared not too many all and the Honorable chairman graced the people will turn up,” confessed Abdul Baki, occasion with his presence towards the end. the project officer of JJS. “But when the drums started beating, people simply The fair focused on flooded in from all creating awareness directions. I arranged about ideal behavior some volunteers but during the three even then we had phases of cyclones: difficulties managing Early warning, cyclone the crowd.” onset and post disaster. Portable Towards the end of the stoves, candle, oral show, the community saline, pressed rice, match b ox, etc. were at people requested the partner organization display along with a brief description placed to organize more shows like this. They adjacent to the items explaining how to explained that they attended various preserve and use them. In addition, various trainings on disaster preparedness but pictures were on display portraying how learning in the form of a pot song was very community people should organize and entertaining. ActionAid assured the people 4 that more shows are coming up and will “This is the first time we have had an hopefully be staged on the largest play opportunity to air something on disaster ground of Padmapukur. preparedness. We wish DIPECHO conducts a long term Community Radio programme The people are learning how to on disasters so that all the people under our radio network coverage can benefit.” save themselves. They didn’t know it during Aila so they suffered. Local TV cable Since they know it now, I believe Shyamnagar Cable Operator manages the the losses are going to be lot less. provision of cable TV network to all the households of the area. To be a part of the Community Radio National Disaster Preparedness Day, the operator agreed to telecast a cartoon film A radio show was earlier recorded to be multiples times throughout the day. The aired on the Preparedness Day. The only cartoon depicted the story of a school girl community radio of Satkhira district NALTA Laily who travelled with a fairy to various Radio 99.2 FM stepped forward to take the disaster prone places and advised people on initiative. Throughout the show, a taking preparedness measures. discussion between a moderator and the chairmen of “Cartoons are usually Padmapukur and fun for children only, but Burigoalini Union when I saw Laily even I focused elaborately on got interested,” said the transition of “Sanjit Ray, the manager Shyamnagar from a of Shyamnagar Cable relief dependent area Operator . “Next year I to a resilient one. They hope DIPECHO makes spoke in detail about something for adults as the roles of NGO and well.” civil society towards creating a resilient Concluding Remarks community; one which prioritizes Disaster Risk Reduction over Emergency response.