Rusizi district is one of the districts in Rwanda that is most affected by natural disasters by heavy rains and storm which has led setting strategies including evacuating people from areas that are termed as High Risk Zones to reduce effects of Natural Disasters.
Red Cross volunteers in training
Another strategy Rusizi district is employing to reduce the effects of Natural Disasters is by training the Red Cross Rwanda volunteers from all 18 sectors of the district about natural disasters with the support of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs.
The Red Cross Volunteers are being trained on the prevention of these disasters by knowing where to build their houses. This is because most residents just build homes without thinking of the dangers of certain places. They were taught to grow trees to regulate the wind that destroy most homes.
This training comes after the agreement between MIDIMAR and Red Cross Rwanda to teach local people about first aid and prevention of these disasters considering these volunteers are part of these local people.
“This will make it easy to the people and the ministry for the support would come from Kigali city in the aftermath of these disasters but now it will be among the people” says Jaen Baptiste Nsengiyunva who is in charge of research in MIDIMAR.
The main goal of this training is to provide quick assistance to the people who are affected by Natural Disasters while waiting for the national support. With the local people trained on providing initial support and with the required tools, people will be secure.
MIDIMAR is also planning to initiate a program that will enable them to warn people of the pending disasters and this message will be delivered through the trained volunteers.
Source : http://www.bahoneza.com/rusizi-training-volunteers-about-disaster-prevention-and-management/
Rusizi: Training volunteers about disaster prevention and management