Give a helping hand to preventing disaster

A sensitization workshop on disaster risk reduction has just been concluded by a community organisation known as Kairu Suu Federation, in collaboration with ChildFund The Gambia and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).

Held at Jambanjelly in Kombo South District, the training course involved board members, staff, field workers and senior management team of Kaira Suu Federation, which is also working with five community associations in Sanyang, Tujereng, Jambanjelly, Sifoe, and Tanji.

Although the training activity mainly covered officials of Kairu Suu Federation, its essence borders on the whole nation because issues of disaster risk reduction are issues of concern to all and sundry in our society.

Every now and then we witness, hear and read reports about one disaster or the other ranging from inferno to flood and other human catastrophes.

This causes serious setback for direct victims of disaster and their relatives, as well as members of the society. It as well affects public and private coffers as salvaging measures are taken by both government and private institutions to help out victims of disasters.

However, it is worth noting that prevention is better than cure in trying to curb disasters in society, as rightly stated by the regional manager of ChildFund The Gambia, one of the supporting institutions of the training course.

“A butut spent in preventing disaster is better than a dalasi spent in relief,” he stated.

He remarked that their approach at ChildFund is putting more emphasis on how they could prevent disaster, saying rather than spending on relief to help disaster victims, ChildFund places more emphasis on prevention, mitigation and adaptation.

While giving relief after disaster strike is actually essential, it is more essential to help in preventing the occurring of disasters. So spending on training and aspects that are geared towards preventing disasters is quite in place and deserves more support to help in curbing the high rate of disaster occurrences we are experiencing in the country.

“Prevention is better than Cure”.

Anonymous