Disaster Preparedness In Lovelove Village
President of Fiji Red Cross Labasa Branch Volunteer Group, Maleli Qera, said they were happy to accommodate the request from the village on awareness for Disaster Preparedness.
Tuesday 09 November 2021 | 13:22
Red Cross Volunteer Pita Saladoka demonstrates hand washing practises during the Disaster awareness programme at Lovelove Village. Photo: Laisa Lu
People should be prepared for cyclone from the beginning of the season and not a few minutes before the landfall.
This is what Lovelove Disaster awareness programme coordinator Ana Wise said, during an organised event at Lovelove Village.
The event also included the Fiji Red Cross team who helped to provide awareness on disaster preparedness.
Related stories
“The awareness programme is basically for nine households with the support of the village headman and sub-committees in the village; we also invited those settlements living around us,” Ms Wise said.
“We were not prepared for the past three cyclones that had made an impact on our village which partially damaged houses.
“Most of us prepare just a few hours before the cyclone. We were unorganised and panicked at the same time.”
Ms Wise said she believed that civil servants play a huge role in their communities by advocating and organising such awareness for their own communities.
Village headman, Jacoro Maleau, was also thankful to the Fiji Red Cross team who accepted their invitation to conduct the awareness on disaster preparedness.
“We’re currently into the cyclone season and only when a cyclone is approaching then people decide to prepare,” he said.
“We should prepare from the very beginning of the cyclone period, to be always ready physically, mentally, spiritually and financially.
“We used to have a relaxed attitude towards cyclone warnings, but after our recent experiences, we will do better and prepare better for the in- coming cyclones,” he said.
President of Fiji Red Cross Labasa Branch Volunteer Group, Maleli Qera, said they were happy to accommodate the request from the village on awareness for Disaster Preparedness.
“The awareness was basically to make the community aware of what they could do before the cyclone like planting of resilient crops such as kumala and dalo ni tana,”Mr Qera said.
“They were also informed of ways they can reduce the risk of people getting hurt is by putting away house- hold items, woods, roofing iron and securing their houses ahead of time.
“And how to help an injured person during the height of a disaster, depending on the situation at hand,” he said.
Feedback: laisa.kabulevu@fijisun.com.fj
