Child Centric Approaches to DRR in Education

..Drawing lessons from Disaster Risk Reduction through Schools Project Implemented by ActionAid Nepal…

Nahakul ThapaNational CoordinatorDRRS project, ActionAid Nepal

HFA Priorities for Action

1. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation2. Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation3. Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels4. Reduce the underlying risk factors5. Strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response at all levels

Approaches

Students analyze their vulnerabilities together with teachers and school family

Come up with action plans

These action plans form basis for overall school disaster preparedness plan

Representation of District Education office in the PVA process

Child led Participatory Vulnerability Analysis

Approaches

Child to Child to Parents Based on the findings of the PVAs, core

students representing all grades are trained on Disaster Risk Management as DRR champions

These core students deliver peer learning sessions in their respective classes to reach all fellow students

Then these students carry the messages on DRR to their families / parents

“My mother used to scoff at my messages, claiming she knew all about risks these even before I was born. I challenged her as to why she had done nothing about these if she knew all about them. She now listens to the messages I bring from school”

Sukulal Pakhrin, Grade 9, Makawanpur

Approaches

Capacity buildings once the hazards and the risks

associated are identified, students then are trained on different life skills

These training skills enable students to deal with an emergency and reduced the risks

Approaches…

Mock Drills and Street Drama

• Regular Mock Drills have to be integral part of school improvement plans contributing to the retention of acquired skills of students

•Trained street drama teams in place. These teams develop stories around local disasters and demonstrate for wider dissemination of disaster education

Approaches..

Schools have to develop emergency exit plan

It must show the safe exit routes and safe place to assemble in an emergency

Mock Drills should follow these routes

Development of School Emergency Exit plans

Approach…

The video is effective because it brings out the reality of the community. In the case of someone coming in from outside the community, they might ask a question and the real answer might not be given. This is not the case in using video because it captures the reality. Hidden things in the community are exposed; things are clearer because you see what is happening.”

Pasang lama, Grade 9, Syamewangfel Secondary School, Rasuwa

Participatory Video for advocacy

Approaches….

Policy Advocacy : Work on integrating DRR education in school curriculum

Approach

Making structures safer•Construction of earthquake resistant buildings and retrofitting have made schools safer

•Local government is committed to utilize its existing structure to disseminate this technologies beyond DRR catchment areas (DEO)

Key learning

Making school safer means safety of both the children and communities

Mobilization of networks Establish a strong communication mechanism to

bring local issues to national level to influence policy

Policy advocacy is a must to scale up school safety and reach all schools : out of nearly 40000 schools, hardly 700 schools have been covered by all NGOs in Nepal

The End

Nahakul.thapa@actionaid.org