My evening school for disaster resilience

Education is greatly slashed by the recent flood in Assam and schools are closed for indefinite duration due to infrastructural damage or unconducive environment. Though, enrollment rates at the Lower Primary Schools are high i.e. approximately 80% but the attendance in the class is very low before and even after the flood.

In Assam Flood 2017 Phase II, the HCL Foundation had supported Caritas India initiative “My Evening School for Disaster Resilience” under education sector. The initiative is catering to 1000 children from 12 flood affected villages of Lakhimpur District to have continued study culture during the flood period and prepare them to save themselves and their study materials.

This is one of the unique evening school where apart from formal text based classes, children will learn about disaster situation, children’s safety and preparedness measures to face floods. It is also planned to form children clubs based on their interest and age group so that they work as a group for any issues related with children and disaster preparedness.

The programme will also focus on building awareness of the community on the disaster preparedness including health awareness, awareness on disaster risk reduction/preparedness and prepare the community to better face the upcoming floods. Interested youths will be identified and motivated to work as volunteers during disaster to help the community as required. Volunteerism will be introduced in each village and train the selected people in this line. All the school going children will be given awareness program on the preparedness to protect their education materials.

The programme was launched with the recruitment and orientation of field staffs on July 20-21, 2017 at Lakhimpur, Assam. The selected staffs conducted village level survey for collecting students profile through face to face interaction with the parents, identifying school centers and seeking permission for using govt. schools for the evening school.

The programme envisions to train 70% of the school going students have taken disaster preparedness measures on protecting study materials. It also aims to prepare communities to face the annual flood and reduce at least 50% of loss and damages of lives and properties.

So far, Caritas India intervention under Assam Flood 2017 can be viewed below: