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Children for Children Organization on Disaster Management

Jun 2, 2009, 9:34 AM | Article By: Isatou Dumbuya

Children for Children Organisation (CFCO) an action-oriented solidarity organisation in collaboration with the Kanifing Municipal Council Disaster Management Committee on Thursday held a disaster management forum at the KMC grounds.

Disaster is believed to be an event when great harm, damage or death or serious difficulty arises. Disaster may be caused by fire, earthquake, flood, outbreak of disease and poor sanitation, just to name a few.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Buba Darboe, a member of the KMC Disaster Management Committee, said that Government is the key player in the reduction of disaster in the communities.

Mr. Modou Lamin Badjie, another member of the committee revealed that their committee implements activities to create awareness geared towards reducing disasters since the KMC itself is not free from the clutches of disaster.

He urged all and sundry to take part in disaster management.

"Disaster is all geared towards man and property. Prevention is better than cure," says Mr. Mustapha Saine, another member of the aforementioned committee.

Mr. Saine further went on to say that women and children play a pivotal role in disaster management and reduction, noting that when it occurs women and children are the most vulnerable.

The project outcomes at the regional level include; improved understanding of the level of disaster resilience at the local level in participating regions. It also aims to improve dialogue between public, civil society and community stakeholders responsible for disaster risk reduction.

The five main priorities for action or strategic areas discussed at the management program are Governance, risk assessment, monitoring and warning, knowledge and education, underlying risk factors and disaster preparedness.

Ibrahim Ceesay the national coordinator of CFCO revealed that there would be more of disaster management awareness and training in various regions of the Gambia in the near future.

Flood and lack of sanitation, which eventually leads to outbreak of disease and fires, are the conclusions the two organizations reached to as what usually strikes the KMC and the neighboring regions.