Kavre, August 18

Ritu  Tamang,15, from Phalate of Bhumlu Rural Municipality, lived in  a makeshift tent, along with her family, for several months after the 2015 earthquakes. Her  school was closed for almost three months.

“I was so terrified and fear stricken. I did not have any knowledge about disaster risk reduction,” she  said.

“But after taking training on disaster risk reduction I have learned about the safety measures to be adopted during the time of disaster. I am more prepared mentally for such disasters,” she shared.

Disaster risk reduction training helped Ritu learn about pre-disaster and post disaster preparedness.

After  the devastating earthquakes of 2015, the government and  the non-government organisations focused on reconstruction, but now they have started focusing on making children aware of disaster risk reduction.

Educating high school students about the calamities  has enabled them to handle difficult situation much effectively than before.

“I have learnt about safety measures to be adopted during earthquakes and other natural calamities like lightning,” Ritu shared. She is a ninth grader at Sharada Secondary School,  Bhumlu.

Narayan Sapkota, School Management Committee Chair of  Shree Gorakhnath Basic School said that after earthquake they had  become more concerned about disaster preparedness. According to Sapkota, they had formed School Disaster Management Committee after the earthquake and conducted various  awareness programmes on disaster risk reduction.

Making students aware about DRR is very effective way to spread awareness in society as they share their learning with family members,” said Sapkota.

Many INGOs, NGOs and government agencies are conducting  awareness raising programmes at various schools in Kavre. ADRA Nepal,  an NGO, has been conducting awareness activities with local partners at  schools in the district.

Director of ADRA Nepal Yubaraj Chaudhary said in the wake of the devastating earthquake all the  governmental and non-governmental organisations focused on reconstruction of  physical infrastructures. “If people are not aware about the safety  measures, building alone cannot ensure safety,” said Chaudhary.

“Therefore,  we have decided to make schools aware about Disaster Risk  Management,” Chaudhary added.