Tanaka Chare
In an initiative aimed at combating community-based disasters, the Gweru Civil Protection Committee, in collaboration with World Vision, Red Cross and Fire Brigade, recently held a seminar for Senga residents1, equipping them with knowledge on disaster preparation.
The facilitators targeted disasters that the Senga community faces, which include fires, flash floods, drug and substance abuse, epidemics and road traffic accidents.
During an interview with this reporter, a representative from the Gweru Civil Protection Committee, Mr Cornilia Selipiwe, described how the training communities help in preparing for a sudden event that can potentially cause harm to them and their possessions.
“This is one meeting of its kind where the trainers are actually getting into the community and providing hands-on training. One thing we need to be aware of is that when disaster strikes, it actually hits within the communities; therefore, we need to create a community that is resilient to disasters.”
“As a committee, we are trying to make sure that when disaster strikes, our communities are prepared, but we have also discovered that there are a lot of gaps, for instance, the issue of drug and substance abuse. It is a blame game. It is important for communities to put collective efforts when dealing with these issues. “
“We are going to try by all means to foster a convergence kind of thinking between the council officials and the residents,” he further said.
The workshop provided residents with a practical approach whereby representatives from the Red Cross demonstrated some of the First Aid procedures associated with floods and fires.
Moreover, the Chief-Fire-Officer, Mr Felix Muguti, provided teaching to residents on how best they can prevent fires in their homes and communities.
“Statistics show that 90 % of fires are from electrical faults; therefore, there is a need for us to be more aware of such accidents,” he emphasized.
He encouraged that residents should report to the fire brigade toll-free line if fires occur in homes or communities and he also promised that there will be two fire substations.
“ We urge residents to report accidents to our lines and give full information so that our team can get to the scene faster. We are hoping to open two fire substations, one in Mkoba and another in Senga.”
The Gweru Civil Protection Committee is targeting every ward in Gweru. From her, we are going to host two other workshops in Mkoba and Monomutapa, whereby we incorporate different wards so that everyone benefits, “ Selipiwe added.
I have learnt quite a lot from this workshop, especially the presentation on fires.
