Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
With the determination to inculcate the right life saving skills on the children, the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) with support from the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and funding from Italian government has trained 60 pupils in Edo State on how to respond to emergency situations, especially flood waters as the state is confronted with its negative impact.
Speaking with newsmen during the inauguration of the launch of the School Disaster Risk Reduction Club as part of Flood Resilience Project at the Kleros Montessori School in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, the Branch Secretary, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Edo State, Mr. Wilson Ekhomogiazin, said setting up the club is to catch the children young.
He said it will help the pupils to know what to do when confronted with an emergency situation and build a resilient community because when you build a resilient community, you are building a resilient society, a society that will know what to do when there are disasters.
Mr. Ekhomogiazin said two schools were selected for the launch, Kleros Montessori School, in Oredo local government area and Aluaye Primary school in Udaba-Ekperi in Etsako Central local government area of the state respectively.
He added that 30 pupils would be inaugurated from each schools, making a total number of 60 pupils.
According to him “The purpose of this activity is to train 35 participants drawn from community, comprising two teachers, three community volunteers and 30 pupils which
will lead to the formal establishment and inauguration of School Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Club, orient participants on disaster preparedness and resilience, and equipping them with functional structures to sustain the club”, .
He said the objectives include, engaging with school authorities to secure ownership and support, sensitize and orient students on floods, risks, and the role of DRR clubs, select 30 pupils per school to serve as DRR club members, facilitate leadership elections and appointment of teacher focal persons.
He said, others are launching and inaugurating the DRR club through structured training sessions, establish functional teams for core DRR activities (EWS, First Aid, WASH, Media), conduct debriefing and documentation with NRCS branches.
On the part of the Livelihood and Community Liaison Officer, Disaster Management Department, Nigerian Red Cross Society National headquarters, Blessing John, the initiative is aimed at reducing the vulnerability of children to flood disasters by “catching them young.”
Dominion Makinde, a primary 5 (basic 6) pupil of Kleros Montessori School, described the training as a well thought-out one adding that, though he is young, he believes that he can put what he has been taught into use to serve the lives of those in danger.
The headmistress of the school, Mrs. Doris Lemazong, thanked the Nigerian Red Cross Society for choosing her school as one of the beneficiaries of the training.
On the part of the acting chairman, Etsako Central, Mr. Cephas Yakubu, he commended the Red Cross Society for paying an on-the-spot-assessment visit to the community that has been ravaged by the impact of flood.
He said on their own, they have been able to ask the people of the community to move to the high level areas to avoid loss of lives.