Youths and Young Children Challenged to Step Up for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction will be celebrated on October 13, this year under the Theme: "Making Youth Partners for Disaster Risk Reduction."  The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) conducted a number of activities, targeting young children and youths in keeping with this theme.

On Saturday 24th September, 2011 NEMO in collaboration with the St. Vincent Union of Teachers Cooperative Credit Union Ltd conducted a Disaster Risk Reduction workshop with members of the Credit Union's Youth Group under theme "the role of youths in disaster risk reduction in St. Vincent and the Grenadines".  The main objectives of the workshop were to expose participants to:

• The basic concepts of Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Information on hazards that are common to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
• The economic and social impacts of these hazards.
• The role that youth can play in the disaster risk reduction mechanism at the National, community and family level.
• The basic concepts of the Family Emergency Plan and its importance.

The youths were also challenged to step up and produce an Emergency Plan for their family. These plans should be submitted to NEMO's Office by Monday 17th October, 2011 and prizes will be awarded for the three best plans.  

In keeping with its policy of trying to  instill a culture of safety in the very young children and youths, NEMO also opted to work with a pre-school as part of activities leading up to International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.  On Thursday 6th October, 2011, members of staff of NEMO visited the Imani Pre- School, Old Montrose, Kingstown to make a presentation on the weather in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, making some comparison with the weather in the United Kingdom.  The children were also exposed to video presentations on four of the common hazards that pose a threat to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They were also introduced to an interactive game on the disaster supply kit.

On Thursday 13th October, 2011, International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, NEMO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education will make a disaster risk reduction presentation at the CW Prescod Primary School in Kingstown. During this presentation the students will be given the opportunity to understand the role of NEMO in Disaster Risk Reduction in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the role that they can play in their communities and families.  There will also be a video presentation on volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes and preparedness in the family.  The students will also be given the opportunity to step up on the school’s steps, holding a print of the disaster risk reduction slogan to show that disaster risk reduction matters to them.  

Activities to celebrate International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction will continue with Members of staff of NEMO stepping up at midday to show that disaster risk reduction matters to them and a presentation with the Youths at Rose Place in Kingstown at 4:30 p.m.

As part of the National Emergency Management Organization's (NEMO) long term programme with youths, officials from NEMO and the Ministry of Education met  early this month to formalize NEMO's School Programme and NEMO's School Safety Project for two primary and one Secondary School in Kingstown as part of a project called" Kingstown be Ready", focusing on education and the youths.