Save the Children project helps vulnerable children better prepare for disasters in Dong Thap and Tien Giang

More than 12,000 children in 24 primary schools in Dong Thap and Tien Giang were provided with trainings and life saving equipments to better prepare for disasters thank to a project by the Prudence Foundation and Save the Children from February 2013 to April 2014.

 The US$197,000 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Vietnam project funded by the pan-Asian Prudence Foundation and implemented by Save the Children aims to increase awareness of disaster risk reduction and the possible negative impacts of climate change for  the children and community members in disaster prone locations in the two provinces.

 In coordination with the local departments of education, centres for flood and storm control (CFSC), Vietnam’s Red Cross and Disaster Management Centre, Save the Children provided trainings on disaster risk reduction for the children and teachers with which they could design  preparedness plan for their school. In addition, children were trained on evacuation drills and provided with life saving equipment and swimming lessons so that they could protect themselves from disasters.

 Similar activities were also organized in the children’s communities with estimate of 24,000 people benefiting from the project.

 Jack Howell, CEO of Prudential Vietnam said: “Vietnamese people have an interesting saying: “living with the floods”. This implies that the best way to face disasters is to be well-equipped. By sponsoring this DRR project, Prudential is very happy to continue providing realistic support to the Vietnamese communities. The project had provided school children with practical skills to survive and overcome disasters such as tropical floods and storms. As a leading insurer in the country, Prudential not only provides protection from financial loss, but also cares to bring more benefit to local communities.”

Save the Children’s Country Director Gunnar Andersen said: “Save the Children has had a 20 year-experience in emergency responses and disaster risk reduction in Vietnam. Children are always the most vulnerable during the emergencies. Save the Children works to ensure the children to be safe and protected”.

 “With the support by the Prudence Foundation, we work closely with local partners to help vulnerable communities including children to better prepare for natural disasters. We have provided them knowledge and skill in order to reduce the negative impacts of natural disasters, and to build a more comprehensive and effective model of child-focused, community-based disaster risk management in Dong Thap and Tien Giang. By empowering individuals, this project was expected to have a long-lasting impact on communities, which will ultimately save lives.”