CATEGORY:DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
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By Rawle Titus
NaDMA Communications Officer
Monday October 30,2006



DISASTER MANAGEMENT received a boost Thursday following the launch of a programme involving the nations youth.

About 50 young persons are being sent out into the communities to provide crucial support to the revamped community structure. They will be working with the 17 district disaster committees throughout the tri island state.

“We are looking at sending persons at the community level. These persons would be involved in the day to day process of disaster preparedness at the community level but I think what is very significant to note is that they would be a major support to the community based groups within the communities” said Youth Minister Senator Emalyn Pierre, who attended Thursday’s press conference launch at NaDMA headquarters, Richmond Hill.

“A lot of the work will be at the community level ensuring that we are moving away from a national focus into a more community based focus which NaDMA has been spearheading .So this process is going to help us to even further strengthen the efforts at the community level”.

The communities were reorganized under a programme funded by the Canadian Government and Coordinated by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA).

All the District Disaster Committees are served by volunteers who have been elected to positions of Coordinators, Deputy Coordinators and heads of various sub-committees covering from supplies to shelter management.

NaDMA Coordinator Sylvan McIntyre says the new recruits are faced with the task of raising the profile of disaster preparedness in Grenada. “What we seek to achieve is a continued support for disaster preparedness and information at the community level “McIntyre said.

“So while those persons have volunteered willingly and have given their service we are looking for that continued support in ensuring that the information and the flow of disaster preparedness becomes a day to day activity rather than someone just doing some work in his/her spare time. So that is the fundamental effort into the youth involvement “He said.

The young persons, who attended a one-day training session at NaDMA on Thursday, are being recruited under the IMANI programme.