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Twenty NGOs involved in disaster management in Andhra Pradesh train children to recognise cyclone warnings and act on them, build floating devices, rescue and treat the injured and get people safely into cyclone shelters. For the children it's fun and games, but with a very serious undertone
"Willing to stay back after school?" "Yes," says Satish shyly, a glint in his big eyes. His friends explain: "We have lots of games to play and get chocolates and biscuits!"
Boiled sweets and a liberal dose of 'learn while you play' is incentive enough for the children to remain in school 40 minutes after the last bell has gone. We are in Yellayyapeta village in Thondangi mandal of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, in front of the tiled single-room school.
Radhika, a bright confident young woman in her 20s working with the local NGO (non-governmental organisation) ACTION, fills in the blanks. The children are being taught to protect themselves and others during cyclones. Nine districts in coastal Andhra Pradesh experience severe cyclones. High winds, torrential rain and floods completely devastate the lives and livelihoods of the people here. This early training forms part of the Community-Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) programme being carried out by a network of 20 local NGOs involved in disaster management, CADME (Coastal Area Disaster Mitigation Efforts) with support from Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB).
"Children are part of society and should know about the disasters and the distress (cyclones cause)," explains Radhika. "Right now they are kids, but as they grow up they will be able to use this knowledge and help others. The school training is one of the firsts in India under the CBDP programme. It began when, at a CADME meeting, people realised that men, women and youth were getting lessons in survival skills, but the children were being left out. They are the bedrock." The programme was started a year ago in 50 villages of East Godavari district where some of the CADME's partners are based.
This extra class requires extra effort. "Children get very easily distracted, so the chocolates and biscuits to trap them," says Radhika and winks. Ramanna, the schoolteacher, nods his head vigorously in agreement. "We start the training from the fifth standard onwards so that children understand the learning and its importance. One-third of the children pay attention and learn; for the other one-third it's games all the way."
The first lesson is about the importance of thinking straight and acting immediately after a cyclone warning has been broadcast on local radio. Safety pointers are discussed. For example: do not set out to sea if the sea is rough; first take care of the elderly, pregnant women, small children and the disabled; evacuate low-lying areas; attend to the animals.
The following week it's time to form a warning and evacuation group. A team of eight-ten older students are chosen and trained. It is this group's responsibility to broadcast cyclone warnings and news of impending danger to the surrounding villages; also, to instruct and guide people to move into cyclone shelters. Cyclone shelters are thick circular buildings built to withstand cyclones. One shelter can easily accommodate people from three-four villages, but it's a tight squeeze as people bring along most of their belongings, sometimes even their cattle.
Radhika teaches the children the various rescue methods that can be adopted. As she demonstrates, she explains: "To cross a flooded area, tie a rope to two trees on either side of the area to help carry people over to safety. The simple tying of two pots at the ends of a bamboo stick forms a floating device. You need not run from pillar to post in search of a floating device, just use the local material available and save yourself."
Children love play-acting. During the 'rescue' Satish plays the part of an unconscious person. His friend Vishnu will try and drag Satish by his feet or by his waist, or pull the tuft of his hair! He grumbles and curses and the others laugh. But behind the fun is a serious issue: the issue of saving lives.
Another class the children look forward to how to carry injured people. Little Tirupathi is taught how to carry Venkat who is twice her size. She can 'cradle-carry' him like a mother carrying her baby, for Venkat acts like a person with an injured stomach. Or she can use the fireman's lift to carry rotund Venkat. She also demonstrates 'pick-a-back' -- carrying a person with wounded legs on her back. Pointing to Tirupathi, Radhika laughs: "Who says a woman cannot carry a man's burden, literally or figuratively!" Pleased with the praise Tirupathi quickly makes an improvised stretcher by folding a blanket between two bamboo sticks. She does a neat job. "Just one word of praise makes their faces glow and parents are repeatedly told what the teacher taught them and what they should do. Here it's the other way around: parents listen to their children."
The next lesson is on first-aid. There's a crowd of smiling bandaged faces, arms and legs. This is a favourite class too. How else can you get back at your friend if not by swathing him/her in bandages right from the chin bandage, cup-and-collar bandage, head bandage, chest bandage, long-arm sling, knee bandage and leg bandage? The children also learn to treat burns, fractures and scorpion bites for which they use local material like tamarind and salt.
The last class involves teaching children how to perform artificial respiration. "This takes time for the children to grasp," explains Radhika. "Girls and boys hesitate to act in front of each other. So we make the girls do it to girls and the boys to boys."
Finally, it's time for the 'disaster drill'. The children are let loose on the beach and they imitate a cyclone situation where some children need to be rescued from the sea, some are stuck in flooded areas and others are screaming out from make-believe houses. It's action time as well as fun time. The children divide themselves into their respective teams to warn, build floating devices, rescue, treat the injured and get others safely into cyclone shelters.
Contact: Mr. Meda Gurudutt Prasad
Disaster Manager,
CADME (Coastal Area Disaster Mitigation Efforts)
Krishna Sadan,Dr.Meda Ranga Pasada Rao Gardens,
Hukumpet P.O.,
Rajahmundry - 533106,
Andhra Pradesh,
Tel:0883-2461442,
Fax: 0883-2468449
Email:
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-- Safia Sircar
(Safia Sircar is a Hyderabad-based development journalist.)
InfoChange News & Features, April 2004
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