BoHF in Disaster Recovery Response in Neno

A cross section of DCPC members A cross section of DCPC members - pic by Steve Kalungwe

In Neno district, a local organisation, Beyond our Hearts Foundation with financial support from Save the Children Italy has engaged the District Civil Protection Committee on how to respond to disasters amid the rainy season.

Orienting the DCPC members today, the organisation's Project Officer Mavis Sambakunsi has urged the members to respect rights of the children and other vulnerable members of the society during disasters.

She said that, in most cases, children's rights are violated when disasters strike like giving them hard labours in repairing structures.

"We need to safeguard the rights of the children during disasters, they must be accorded all the rights as if life is normal," said Sambakunsi.

Concurring opinion also came from the Neno district commissioner Hudson Kuphanga who said that people should start changing the perspective of Neno, like seeing it as inhabitable place.

"People should know that Neno is a star district and we are doing fine in responding to disasters and respecting rights of people affected by various disasters," he said.

Kuphanga further commended Beyond our Hearts Foundation for its Localisation Pilot project saying the government is eager to work with various partners in disaster management and reshape the image of the district.

"While other partners are helping us, we also appeal to people to start building resilient structures as we also developed early warning systems to safeguard people's lives," narrated the DC.

Neno district Relief Officer Brighton Mphinga empathized the need for people to still use the traditional means of detecting a possible disaster occurrence beside scientific ones.

He said that "people should still observe the traditional means of detecting disasters and take seriously warnings given by the District Civil Protection Committees to mitigate risks accompanied by disasters."

Meanwhile, BoHF programs coordinator Pemphero Nkhata lamented lack of resources as a hindrance to equipping the grassroots with disaster knowledge.

In response, the Neno DC has committed to ask the government to put aside a special budget for unforeseen circumstances.

Neno District Hospital Environmental Officer Magret Mikwamba has called on various implementing partners to dig deep the needs of the people affected by disasters, a sentimental echoed by Partners in Health officer Nelsons Gonondo.

"We should not impose humanitarian aid to the people, we need to ask them their needs," said Gonondo.

The Localisation Pilot project is being implemented in all the four Traditional Authorities of Neno.

The district is often hit by floods, lightening and dry spells.

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