Child-Focus Disaster Risk Reduction

By Tito Panggabean

Some statements in Child Protection Law state the following:

·         Child is protected in any disaster Such as Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and landslides.

·         The children, in any disaster situation Should Remain protected.

·         Children in any disaster situation should have the right to be protected

·         Children in disaster situations have right to Participate for their own safety.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program focusing on children is designed to meet the right of children to participate in disaster management. We currently implement DRR program in 12 sub districts of 3 districts in West Sumatra. The program is focusing on schools, community and local government ranging from village level to district level. Beneficiaries are at least 4,500 children and 300 teachers. It is our hope this program will be integrated into district government plans in future. It will accordingly widen the scope of work of the program.

As we believe that children could give contribution to reduce disaster risk, that children could participate in protecting themselves when disaster happens, we undertake training on child rights in disaster management. The training materials consist of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Child Protection Laws. We train children to make maps of risk and resources. We, together with children, drew evacuation route at schools. Then we make commitment to keep regular simulation on going at schools where we had this training.

Participatory training methods are the most preferred method to implement child-focused DRR program. The activity using this approach is making children more confident and come up with bright ideas. One of the ideas mentioned by a student was,
 
"We plan to create a program separating organic and non organic waste. The results are used as compost to fertilize the plant flowers around the school. Waste plastic is used as material for bags and souvenirs. We have initiated to make trash bin from discarded wood around school "

In order to spread the knowledge on DRR, we conducted DRR campaigns in schools and community. The campaign is about safe and dangerous places, raising awareness, and disaster preparedness. It uses posters, games for kids which is effective to make the children understand and convey DRR message to their parents and surroundings.

How to ensure sustainability of the child-focused DRR program? One strategy that we consider important way is to integrate knowledge of DRR into the learning process at school. We do not expect that there will be a new curriculum that is given to the children because disaster prevention material can be incorporated into existing learning subjects.

Another strategy is to involve the elements of the government so that they become more sensitive and consider the child's perspective in their disaster management planning.  Further advocacy is necessary to the development planning and budgeting. BAPPEDA and BPBD needs to be more sensitive and child-friendly when making the contingency planning. We need advocacy to local governments for their use DRR framework to create a work plan and budget development. Provincial Development Planning Agency (BAPPEDA) and Provincial Agency for Disaster Management (BPBD) need to be more sensitive and child friendly when planning their work plan.

Concluding this paper is merely an honest expression of that journey of disaster risk reduction program focusing on children is still far from expectations. We need to continuously call for child-parent dialogue there, boys and teachers, children's village officials. However, we also need to make sure that the trip was aimed at right direction.