Relief and Rehabilitation

The sudden attack of Tsunami on 26th Dec 2004 really obstructed the life in the coastal villages. KIDS actively involved in the disaster and post disaster phases of Tsunami. The immediate relief activities done by KIDS for tsunami victims are:

• Distribution of Food Kits
• Medical camps
• Construction of Rainwater Tanks
• Supply of Utensils
• Construction of Toilets
• Child Oriented Programme
• Construction of New Houses
• Trauma Counseling
• Supply of Drinking Water in Lories
• Distribution of Sleeping Mats
• Cleaning of Wells and Ponds

However, we understood that long term rehabilitation is possible only by ensuring the livelihood security of the Tsunami affected families. As part this, the following programmes were implemented for the tsunami affected families:

• Cage Fish Culture
• Screwpine Craft
• Water Hyacinth Craft
• Rabbit Rearing
• Japanese Quail Rearing

Now, as a result of short term or immediate relief activities as well as long term initiatives or permanent rehabilitation initiatives, the Tsunami affected people are coming back to normalcy.

Community Based Disaster Preparedness Program (CBDP)

Another major milestone in the Post Disaster stage of Tsunami is the Community Based Disaster Preparedness Program (CBDP), being initiated by KIDS in the Tsunami affected coastal villages of Thrissur and Ernakulam districts with the joint support of CARITAS INDIA and CRS.

The main objectives of Community-Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) initiatives taken up by KIDS are:

To reduce vulnerabilities and increase capacities of at-risk groups and communities to cope with disasters, prevent or minimise loss and damage to life, property and the environment;

To minimise human sufferings and related problems.

To hasten post-event recovery, backed up by detailed pre-event planning. CBDP covers a broad range of interventions that include measures, activities, projects, and necessary policy changes that focus on disaster risk reduction, are designed by communities at risk and based on their needs, priorities and capacities.

Community participation has been recognised as the most essential element in reversing the devastating impact of such disaster events. Experiences and practices in CBDP show the positive impact of the participatory learning approach to disaster preparedness and mitigation. The local community is the prime focus under disaster risk reduction programmes. It is the community that is affected by any disaster, and more importantly, they are both the first and last responders to the event. Irrespective of the dimension and level of the event, it is the community that suffers its adverse effects. In the absence of any specialised skills, they rely on traditional coping and survival mechanisms to face and respond to the event before they start receiving any outside help from the government or non-governmental sources.

With the shifting of paradigms from reactive emergency management to disaster risk reduction, there is more stress on proactive pre-disaster intervention - prevention, mitigation and preparedness. While natural hazards cannot be prevented, measures can be taken to prevent hazards from becoming disasters, by making communities more resistant and resilient. The uniqueness of the CBDP programme lies in its emphasis on the process of transforming the at-risk and vulnerable communities to disaster-resilient communities.

Photo Gallery

Tsunami Site Visit By Bishop

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