Ten communities empowered to manage disasters

Ten communities in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have been trained to identify and develop early warning systems for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

The beneficiary communities, noted to be disaster prone areas, include Yameriga, Yamsouk, Sawalga, Gbane and Sheaga ,Namolgo, Sawalga , Wuug, Santeng, Namolgo, Buugg and Yinduri.

Mr Awal Ahmed, the Executive Director of Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment-Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a Non-Governmental Organisation, with sponsorship from World Vision Ghana (WVG), speaking at separate functions, said as disaster prone communities, they needed appropriate skills to effectively manage and avert disasters.

He said the training was also aimed at building the existing knowledge and skills of the established Disaster Task Force teams formed by WVG in the District.

Mr Godfred Yao Agbenyeke, Programme Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who facilitated the training, urged the community members to collaborate to develop vulnerability maps for their various communities.

Mr Richard Ananga, the Acting Manager of WVG in charge of the Talensi Area Development Programme, said the WVG was more concerned with the welfare of children in the area.

“When disasters occur they result in poor household income and food insecurity which greatly affects the nutritional status of children as well as their ability to exercise their right to education”, he said

Mr Ananga expressed the hope that the knowledge acquired would help the communities develop and sustain early warning systems to protect life and property and ensure the wellbeing of children.

The five communities were taken through principles of early warning systems and participatory activities which improve their early warning systems.