Calder Hall youths get disaster-ready

The Division of Youth Affairs and Sport said it recognises the importance of empowering youth to be responsible and dependable citizens through holistic development. As such, the Department of Youth Affairs is continuing its drive to expose young people to the fundamentals of disaster preparedness and management.

The first of these workshops was introduced to the Charlotteville district in May, and on August 30 ten youths from Calder Hall and environs received certificates for their participation in the second installation.

The week-long workshop was held at the Calder Hall Multi-Purpose Facility, starting from August 26. The certificates received by participants highlighted the topics covered throughout the week. These included: introduction to shelter and shelter management, chainsaw operation, radio operation, disaster preparedness management and emergency response planning.

An excited Kerrisanne Adams shared her experience at the workshop.

She said, “The programme was very beneficial to me and the community because I got hands-on training on a lot of things that I did not know before. Even things like keeping an emergency kit in my household was an eye-opener for me.”

Giving brief remarks, the Director of TEMA, Allan Stewart, congratulated participants for taking an interest in disaster preparedness.

He said, “Though this is an introductory session, TEMA always encourages persons to remain prepared as they too can respond in times of an emergency or natural disaster.”

Highlighting the importance of youths embracing their responsibility to their communities, Youth Development Officer II Lyndon Wilson noted, “This workshop is one of the key strategies being used to promote awareness of natural disasters and to expose our young people to the structures and mechanism that are in place by the state. It is also geared towards imparting youth with some practical skills that will prepare their families and community to handle natural disasters and respond."