Dipecho v news letter 4th edition- january10

Inside this issue:

Action Aid:

Acuity, attitudes and

actions – transformation

2

Danish Red Cross :

Mass Sensitization for

Safer Communities

2

Handicap International:

Sensitization on disabil-

ity and to persons with

disabilities

3

Mission East:

Mass sensitization in

remote mountainous

areas

4

Oxfam:

Mass Media—Mass sen-

sitization

4

Practical Action:

Early Warning—Mass

sensitization

5

Mercy Corps:

Changing practices

through mass sensitiza-

tion

6

NSDRM Priority 3

7

Nepal has been classified as one of

the global ‘hot-spots’ for natural dis-

asters (World Bank, 2005). Reducing

the impact of Natural disasters in

Nepal is a big challenge for govern-

mental as well as non-governmental

institutions.

A wide array of measures has to be

taken, ranging from the development

of Disaster Management and Risk

Reduction legal framework, to overall

infrastructural interventions, coordi-

nation between agencies, research

and development of early warning

systems and capacity building and

strengthening of search and rescue

teams.

The National Strategy for Disaster

Risk Management (NSDRM) devel-

oped with support from UNDP under

the third and fourth DIPECHO Action

Plans recognizes the potential contri-

bution of local communities in disas-

ter risk reduction and preparedness.

The strategy further recognizes a

strong need for awareness raising

and dissemination of disaster risk

reduction information to build resil-

ience of the nation as well as the

communities to disasters.

The NSDRM in line with the Hyogo

Framework for Action (HFA) has iden-

tified five priorities for action, of

which especially the third priority for

action “Better Knowledge Manage-

ment for Building a Culture of

Safety” (please see page 7 ) focuses

on awareness raising.

The theme of this fourth edition of

the newsletter is “Mass Sensitiza-

tion” for awareness raising in the 19

districts supported under the fifth

DIPECHO Action Plan. Inside this

issue, DIPECHO Partners in Nepal

provides a brief of mass sensitiza-

tion activities implemented as part

of their contribution towards fulfill-

ment of the third priority of the

NSDRM.

These initiatives include among

others, radio and TV programs,

street dramas and community

meetings. The articles in this edition

provide only a brief of the various

sensitization activities carried out

by DIPECHO Partners in Nepal. For

further details of the different ini-

tiatives, please contact the

DIPECHO Project Managers directly.

DIPECHO Newsletter Nepal

MASS SENSITIZATION January 2010

Fourth Edition

ics. “Mass Sensitization” is one of the

approaches adhered in project im-

plementation to bring the people

together for better reinforcement.

The SAFE project supported by the

European Commission through its

Humanitarian Aid department has so

far experienced that Mass Sensitiza-

tion brings positive changes to atti-

SAFE- Safer Communities through

Multi-Hazard Risk Reduction project

of Danish Red Cross and Nepal Red

Cross Society emphasizes on the ca-

pacity development of poor & vul-

nerable communities so that they

are able to reduce their vulnerability

and withstand disasters. The entire

process of capacity development

encompasses behavioral & attitudi-

nal change of the target population.

While bringing positive change in

behavior is a challenge, envisaging

social change particularly in deep

rooted traditional and ethnic com-

munities have multifaceted dynam-

The The DIPECHO V project, Surak-

shit Samudaya II, implemented by

ActionAid in Nepal follows a logical

sequence to assist communities at

risk to build resilience to disasters.

This includes 1) community mobiliza-

tion and institutional development,

2) mass sensitization and capacity

building, 3) strengthening alliance

and collaborations and finally, 4)

policy and governance at various

levels. All those critical steps are in-

terrelated and have to go hand in

hand to achieve set objects.

Mass sensitization is crucial to organ-

ized development using awareness

and information at various levels to

bring about transformation. It

changes individual behavior and in-

fluences collective attitudes. In the

DIPECHO projects, AA is trying to

influence thinking and practices

within vulnerable communities to

adopt a risk-resilience culture.

Identification of risks and under-

standing vulnerability are crucial

primary steps in a sensitization proc-

ess, including physical, social, politi-

cal and economic causes of vulner-

ability. Situational assessment and

analysis of local capacities and re-

sources and probing ways and means

to reduce associated risks forms the

second phase of the sensitization

process. Once community is in-

formed, the third crucial step of mo-

bilizing collective action begins. This

is the phase when the informed peo-

ple start taking organized actions to

seek social, political and economic

measures to reduce risks and realize

their rights to eliminate factors that

threaten human security.

The above steps to inform and influ-

ence community to a larger social

transformation process are facili-

tated by various tools, techniques,

methods and products. The findings

and information gathered through

participatory vulnerability analysis

are feeding the community dis-

courses. Appropriate and cultural

friendly media like street theatre, FM

radio broadcast, video documenta-

ries and facilitated group discussions

have been initiated to disseminate

information. A pool of resource per-

sons, trained by the project, act as

local facilitators and change agents

in the community. The volunteers

facilitate the 18 REFLECT circles that

is held once in a week with average

30 participants. Thus, it is a combina-

tion of processes, tools and products

that ensures mass sensitization. It is

not just awareness, it is about social

transformation.

Inside Story Headline

Inside Story Headline

DIPECHO Newsletter Nepal Page 2

ACTION AID: Acuity, attitudes and actions – transformation through

sensitization

DANISH RED CROSS: Mass Sensitization for Safer Communities

mitigate identified problems. Mass

Sensitization is even more effective

in changing attitude and in motivat-

ing the target audience for active

participation in reaching the desired

goals and for their involvement in

addressing the problems.

audience conscious of changes. It

further brings into focus the positive

effects of changes, and possible

measures to be taken to address the

unmet needs of the communities.

SAFE has applied various tools such

as newsletters, posters, booklets,

films, pamphlets, folk music and

community meetings. These are used

by housewives in mothers’ meetings,

teachers and community trainers in

schools, as well as volunteers in

community organizations – in es-

sence, wherever teamwork is desir-

able and achievable.

Resources, both human and/or ma-

terial are continually mobilized

through Mass Sensitization, for more

holistic and systematic implementa-

tion of activities such as launching of

the project to conducting hazard

mapping; identifying small scale miti-

gation measures; formation of Disas-

ter Preparedness Units in the com-

munities and other DRR activities.

In vulnerable communities Mass

Sensitization is an effective measure

when analyzing the situation and

implementing potential solution to

month later another camp is organ-

ized for distributing and fitting of the

devices. These camps can also be

the opportunity to share information

on DRR.

Bringing people with disabilities and

their family members or caretakers

from different VDCs to meet in a

screening camp is in itself an event

of mass sensitization to disaster pre-

paredness and local organizations

are also motivated to involve people

with disabilities in their interven-

tions.

Sensitizing the individual person with

disability and their neighbours on

rights and duties for participation in

DRR interventions has an even

greater impact if combined with pro-

vision of assistive devices that will

enable the person with disability to

participate.

Mass sensitization on inclusive DRR

has two angles: (i) sensitization of

DRR stakeholders on the importance

of including persons with disabilities,

- their capacities and their vulner-

abilities the day of the emergency

will be a concern for all community -

and (ii) sensitization of persons with

disabilities on their right to partici-

pate in disaster preparedness activi-

ties and the importance as a mem-

ber of the community, to support the

preparedness process of their Ward,

VDC or District.

Often people with disabilities are not

visible, left behind or are unable to

participate in activities due to lack of

assistive devices. Thus, the DIPECHO

project also promotes appropriate

provision of assistive devices such as

hearing or walking aids for persons

with disability to participate actively

in orientation sessions, trainings on

early warning system, Disaster Man-

agement Committee meetings or

evacuation in times of emergency.

HI distributes assistive devices in

coordination with interested

DIPECHO partners through mobile

camps. Needs are assessed and

measurements taken for relevant

assistive or prosthetic devices. One

Inside Story Headline

Page 3 Fourth Edition

Folk music in a gathering for commu-

Community meeting for hazard mapping

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL: Sensitization on disability and sensitization

to persons with disability.

Screening Camp

In remote mountainous areas of the

Karnali region, FM Radio is the only

available and possible media for

mass sensitization. Most households

have a radio tuned on the local FM

station or on the national Radio Ne-

pal station. In that perspective, the

majority of beneficiaries supported

by Mission East’s DIPECHO project

will be reached by a radio program

planned to be aired on Radio Karnali

(105.2 MHZ) from Jumla (covering 18

VDCs) for a period of 7 months. Ra-

dio Karnali, a project of Mission

East’s partner KIRDARC, has broad

experience of community-based ra-

dio programming. MISSION EAST will

thus benefit from their 5-years’ of

experience creating and broadcast-

ing interactive radio magazines on

contemporary issues such as pro-

moting peace, democracy, human

rights, good governance, and devel-

opment, during the time of conflict

and in the post conflict situation. It

also helps disadvantaged community

groups such as women, children,

IDPs, dalit, indigenous and conflict

affected people to bring forward

their own concerns and problems.

MISSION EAST assumes – based on

lessons learned from similar actions

– that active communities informed

through broad FM radio dialogues

will improve the possibilities of long-

term and sustainable mitigation of

adverse disaster effects on liveli-

hoods and development processes.

By initiating two-way dialogue on

disaster and disaster preparedness

issues, MISSION EAST aims to in-

crease positive participation in DRR

decision-making at community, VDC

and district levels. Such initiative is in

accordance with the Hyogo Frame-

work for Action that considers active

community participation a key ele-

ment in reducing the effects of natu-

ral disaster.

The 30 minutes radio magazine aired

every week is expected to reach out

to an audience of 70,000 people. It

will include field testimonies, vox box

calls, guest interviews, recall of disas-

ter situations and will as well focus

on disasters in a national perspec-

tive. The content will be adapted to

the local context in order to address

people’s daily concerns.

Inside Story Headline

Inside Story Headline

DIPECHO Newsletter Nepal Page 4

MISSION EAST: Mass sensitization in remote mountainous areas.

Interview for radio magazine

© KIRDARC

Listening to the radio magazine

© KIRDARC

OXFAM: Mass media – Mass sensitization

For Oxfam mass sensitisation aims

both to create and sustain support at

the government level for the integra-

tion of DRR into development plan-

ning as to raise awareness among the

communities on the nature of disas-

ters. Throughout its programming,

Oxfam uses mass media such as tele-

vision, radio programmes, monthly

awareness on DRR.

Under the DIPECHO III action plan,

Oxfam collaborated with ActionAid

and ECO Nepal to develop the Disas-

ter Knowledge Series, a 15 booklets

series covering all aspects of DRR.

These booklets aimed at schools,

local partners and social mobilizers

continue to prove useful both for

ness raising.

The school component consists of

training a DRR focal person in

schools within the target communi-

ties. These focal persons are also

equipped with reference and IEC

material which will continue to be

used for DRR sessions in the schools

also after completion of the

DIPECHO V project. The school com-

ponent aims both to develop general

awareness of DRR concepts among

students and teachers alike.

awareness raising and capacity

building purposes.

Under the DIPECHO V action plan,

mass sensitisation consists of radio

programmes, street theatre and

folksong competitions and the

school programme. The radio pro-

gramme consist of two elements:

• short radio jingles with

practical, applicable

messages on risks and

how to reduce them

• longer broadcasts with

case studies of DRR

approaches and voices

from local officials, com-

munity members and

program staff

Both will be aired on FM radios se-

lected after radio surveys within the

target communities to ensure the

programmes will reach them.

Street theatre spreads messages on

DRR directly to the target communi-

ties. Local theatre groups deliver key

messages to the communities in the

local language. They are effective as

both a form of popular entertain-

ment and as a strategy for aware-

the community’s role in establishing

early warning systems. The shows

disseminated mainly early warning

experiences, benefits and impacts of

early warning systems supported

under previous Practical Action sup-

ported projects. Door to door cam-

paigns and mass rallies are other

means used to create awareness on

early warning.

The SEWIN (Scaling up early warning

systems in Nepal) implemented by

Practical Action supports a wide

range of activities to improve knowl-

edge and create awareness among

the wider population towards Com-

munity Based Flood Early Warn-

ing Systems. To popularize the con-

cept of early warning systems two

slogans have been introduced:

Purbasuchana: Sabai Ka Lagi Sabai

Marphat (Early Warning for all from

all) and

Purbasuchana Ko Bistar: Jokhim

Nyunikaran Ko Aadhar (Promotion

of early warning: the basis for re-

ducing risk)

Practical Actions’ local partners have

in collaboration with the districts’

Communication offices, the FM and

Community radio stations developed

39 jingles in four local languages and

7 radio programs on flood prepared-

ness and early warning. The jingles

and programs were broadcasted

before, during and after the mon-

soon season. Reporters and the peo-

ple in-charge of the FM and Commu-

nity radio stations in the project dis-

tricts have attended trainings on

how to analyze and interpret flood

forecasting data available on the

Department of Hydrology and Me-

trology’s website in order to provide

relevant flood forecasting informa-

tion through their radio channels.

Video shows and street dramas on

early warning have helped communi-

ties internalizing the importance of

effective and on time warning and

PRACTICAL ACTION: Early Warning—Mass Sensitization

Page 5 Fourth Edition

Early Warning Bicycle Rally

Early Warning Students Rally

district.

To further enhance awareness on

DRR options and modalities for local

conditions, KDRRI promotes cross

visits and facilitates interactions be-

tween different communities and

stakeholders. Furthermore, to impart

DRR knowledge and information, IEC

materials are disseminated using

household visits by a trained team of

40 young community facilitators.

Various techniques as games, essays,

arts, simulations and DP awareness

campaigns are used to fill gaps in

knowledge about DP and DRR among

teachers and students in the project

areas.

Mercy Corps has undertaken differ-

ent media for effective mass sensiti-

zation and dissemination of DRR in-

formation among various segments

of the communities, students, and

government organizations. Mercy

Corps’ Kailali Disaster Risk Reduction

Initiative Project (KDRRI) creates

awareness on floods and their risks

as well as protection mechnisms and

coping strategies among the local

people in the project area and in

neighboring communities.

Street drama is an important tool

used by KDRRI to sensitize and com-

municate key messages to commu-

nity members who are unable to

read and write. Dramas are pre-

sented in the local Tharu language by

two teams of local youth one trained

under the previous DIPECHO project

and another under the current pro-

ject. That the street dramas are ef-

fective in sensitization can be seen as

stated by a community member say-

ing that his community was able to

evacuate and rescue all community

members because of what they have

learned from the street drama.

Electronic media are another effec-

tive tool used for raising awareness

and changing practices. The project

uses video documentations to galva-

nize viewers into reducing disaster

risks and documentary films to show

various coping mechanisms adopted

by people in high risk situation. En-

forcement of rules like zero grazing

on the river banks and soil conversa-

tion are some of the particular risk

reduction activities that are commu-

nicated effectively through the vid-

eos and are emulated on the ground.

Furthermore, during the monsoon

seasons short disaster preparedness

messages and radio magazines are

broadcasted by local FM stations and

published in the daily newspapers in

two languages to raise awareness

among a wider audience in Kailali

Practical Action has observed a sig-

nificant change in practices among

the local governments tracked from

the DIPECHO-III to the DIPECHO-V projects due to sensitization initia-

tives. The Village Development Com-

mittees (VDC) allocated at the end of

the DIPECHO-III project a tiny budget

for flood preparedness out of their

annual budget, for the DIPECHO-IV

project this happened in the middle

of project period and for the

DIPECHO-V project the VDCs have

allocated funds for preparedness

right from the beginning of the pro-

ject.

MERCY CORPS – Changing practices through mass sensitization

DIPECHO Newsletter Nepal Page 6

Street drama for mass sensitization

Radio magazine being produced

This thematic newsletter has been produced by DIPECHO projects in Nepal with support from European Commission

under its Humanitarian Aid department. While the work of the projects is supported by the European Commission the

views expressed in the newsletter are those of the partner organizations alone.

The contents and information has been provided by Action Aid; Danish Red Cross; Handicap International; Mercy

Corps; Mission East Nepal; Oxfam GB and Practical Action. This issue is edited and circulated by Mercy Corps on be-

half of DIPECHO partners in Nepal.

To know more about DIPECHO projects, please contact Luc Verna for DG ECHO/DIPECHO at hoo@echo-

kathmandu.org and respective project managers at [email protected] (Action Aid), [email protected]

(CARE), [email protected] (Danish Red Cross), [email protected] (Handicap International),

[email protected] (Mercy Corps), [email protected] (Mission East-Nepal), svanleuf-

[email protected] (Oxfam) and [email protected] (Practical Action).

Page 7 Fourth Edition

NSDRM PRIORITY ACTION 3: Better knowledge management for

building a culture of safety

Strategic Activity 12:

Develop/modify the National Policy on education and implement it so that it gives recognition to schools as important

centers for propagating disaster awareness.

Strategic Activity 13:

Implement disaster education

Strategic Activity 14:

Develop curricula on DRR training for different target groups and implement training prgrammes for all stakeholders

Strategic Activity 15:

Develop and implement a comprehensive national programme for disaster awareness

Strategic Activity 16:

Develop plans, programmes and facilitate for use of mass communication media for dissemination of information on

disaster risk and risk reduction

Strategic Activity 17: Develop/strengthen and encourage awareness raising programmes on DRM at the local level