School Forum Celebrating International Day for Disaster Reduction 2017

This year, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), the Republic of Gambia will commemorate the IDDR in the Lower River Region in the form of a school forum- basically due to its vulnerability and exposure to hazards such as windstorm and bushfires. One hundred students from two junior high schools will participate in the event. 

The children will have an opportunity to interact with expert speakers and technicians from the NDMA, partners from civil society and humanitarian organizations as well as officials from the Ministry of Education. Creative and child-friendly activities such as dramas, role plays, and designing will form part of the event. Two drama performances on 1) children and disasters and 2) this year’s theme- ‘home safe home: reducing exposure, reducing displacement’ by the Gambia Red Cross Society’s drama troupe can be a powerful entertainment-education opportunity for the children. We will also have quizzes, debates and speech competitions during the day.

The media team from ActionAid The Gambia will also make videos of the children where they will be interviewed on their perceptions about improving children’s resilience against disasters and advocate for greater investment in risk education through structured school courses, community sensitizations, among others. The videos and other declarations from the forum will be submitted to the Ministry of Education and relevant stakeholders as a form of children-led advocacy.