Building Capacities for Safer and Resilient Communities

Mary Fotina Katopala, a participant from Malawi sang a song of reconciliation.  This is a song to win back the heart of her husband after fighting with him all night long.

“Come all and witness what has befallen me.
This man who used to love me so much has now turned his back against me.
I vowed, and repeat my vows, he is my husband and nothing will separate us.”

Chia ndi ine chiri ndi ine gyad gyad. Chiri ndi ine eeee (2X) Amuna anga amene ndimawakonda awaa Chiri ndi ineeee Ayamba Kundimenya usiku onseeee Chiri ndi, ineeeeee Ini ndikuti iwowa ndi amuna anga mpakana muyayaaa Cheri ndi ineeee

She claimed this song is being sung by women as a powerful tool to reconcile conflict.  She continues explaining that before conflict turns into a disaster, many things can be done such as increasing community capacities and one of this is her song as a tool for reconciliation. Twenty six participants from 5 countries in Africa such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi, attended the course on Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction last June 19-29, 2006 at Nazareth, Ethiopia nod their heads affirming her claims.

Participants have much to say about the course.

“The training has helped me to clearly understand the difference between a hazard and a disaster and the importance of hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment in disaster risk reduction process.” Huka Garse, SoS Sahel Technical Advisor, Ethiopia

"The course was excellently arranged with experienced facilitators and the content was relevant to Karamoja context.” Lokolimoe J. Bosco, Research Officer, Karamoja Development Programme - Uganda

“The new insights I gained from experience sharing with facilitators and other participants will give new dimension to implementation of my activities when I go back” Father Thomas Achia- Moroto, Director, Social Development Programme - Uganda

“Following my attendance of this workshop, I can now confidently facilitate hazard, vulnerability and capacity assessment at community level” Demile Moges, Environmental Officer, JECCDO, Ethiopia

“The course content is very relevant to my areas of work and I will use the tools I have learnt particularly during project design and implementation” Bernard Kamyumbu, Emergency Officer, CADECOM - Malawi

“As a trainer I got additional facilitation tips and skills which will improve my facilitation skill” Ato Kebede Mola, Humanitarian Program Officer, Oxfam GB, Ethiopia

“There was a lot of emphasis on building on what community have in terms of knowledge, skills and resources and this is departure from our community development approaches where we treat communities as helpless recipients of development assistance” Abarufa Jateni, Field Office Coordinator, Action for Development, Ethiopia

“I expected to know how to make links between relief and development activities, the integration of development plan and contingency plan answered it” Enoth Donald Mbeine, Director, FIT Uganda Ltd.

  

IIRR is bringing the Facilitating Community-Managed Disaster Risk Reduction Course to Kampala, Uganda in October 23 - November 4, 2006. View course information here.

Posted on: September 12, 2006