Safe Within Enters Phase 2 to Build Community-Led Disaster Resilience in Wayanad

Two years after landslides devastated Wayanad and Vilangad, Caritas India and the Kerala Social Service Forum (KSSF) launched the second phase of the Safe Within, Reconnect Wayanad & Vilangad project, shifting the focus from recovery to community-owned disaster preparedness.

The launch took place at the WSSS Auditorium, with four Diocesan Social Service Societies as partners. About 150 people attended, including task force and Emergency Response Team (ERT) members, befriending volunteers, community leaders and stakeholder representatives.

Ms. Usha Vijayan, MLA, Mananthavady, inaugurated the event. She said initiatives like Safe Within are essential to helping communities overcome the trauma of disasters and rebuild their lives with confidence. She hoped the project would grow into a strong support system where no family is left behind and future generations can live in safer communities.

First phase: what was achieved

Dr. V.R. Haridas, National Programme Coordinator, Caritas India, presented the results of the first year across nine Panchayats in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. The project has set up nine Community Resource Centres (CRCs) and four Disaster Clinics, and trained 100 HEART first responders to support preparedness and response in their communities. It has also trained 100 community volunteers in Befriending Services with technical support from NIMHANS and SCARF, backed by eight counsellors and Befriending Coordinators.

Through counselling, befriending, home visits and referrals at the CRCs, the project reached 1,155 individuals from 578 households, with 1,490 service utilisations recorded. Progress was also reported in school-based disaster preparedness, community awareness, livelihood support and local coordination.

What phase two will focus on

Fr. Benny Edayath, Assistant Executive Director, Caritas India, said the real strength of Safe Within lies not only in the activities carried out but in the people who have made the project their own. He said the second phase must build on that foundation by strengthening the HEART Task Force Teams, ERTs, Disaster Clinics and CRCs, and by expanding school-based Disaster Risk Reduction.

He also pointed to village-level disaster management plans and their integration into Panchayat plans, stronger psychosocial support in schools and tribal communities, and women-led risk resilience groups that lead preparedness at household and community levels. Building stronger networks with local institutions and government systems, he added, will be key.

Fr. Dr. Sabbas Ignatius, Executive Director, KSSF, who presided over the function, stressed the need for continued accompaniment and community-centred interventions so that recovery leads to lasting resilience.

Video release and awareness session

Ms. Vijayan released a project video documenting the journey of Safe Within, its first-year achievements and the vision for the second phase. Dr. Haridas then led a community awareness session on climate change, disaster risks and preparedness, reminding participants that resilience requires awareness, collective responsibility and action from every member of society.

Fr. Jinoj Palathadathil, Executive Director, WSSS, welcomed the gathering and led the organisation of the programme. Others who shared their perspectives were Fr. David Alinkal, Executive Director, Shreyas, Bathery; Fr. Sai Parankulangara, Executive Director, COD, Thamarassery; Abeesh Antony, State Coordinator, Caritas India; Fr. Johny Kunnath, Joint Director, WSSS; Ashley Nelson, Project Coordinator, Jeevana; P.A. Jose, Programme Officer, WSSS; and Delna Mary Jaison, Safe Within Project Coordinator, WSSS.

With the first year complete, Safe Within aims to turn disaster recovery into a lasting community resilience movement, where preparedness is a shared responsibility and no one is left behind.