The government has partnered World Vision and other organizations to launch a project meant to incorporate disaster preparedness and response for people with disabilities in five districts of Zimbabwe.
In a statement, Strengthening Community-Led Actions on Education and Disaster Preparedness (SCALE-DP) Programme manager, Dr Tapiwa Muzerengi said they will use existing community structures to ensure the sustainability and participation of vulnerable groups.
“The programme will enhance disaster preparedness of 250 schools in five districts of operations. This programme is unique because it is inclusive, for example it will incorporate disaster preparedness and response for people with disabilities. This will include the procurement of assistive devices for children with varying disabilities. For example, braille material for the visually impaired, retro-fitting such as building ramps to ensure that those with physical impairments can access classrooms for learning.
“Disaster proofing for schools will also be part of the activities under the programme where we intend to facilitate the refurbishment of schools infrastructure to withstand harsh weather conditions. The programme will also enable the stock piling of non-food items, revitalizing community disaster preparedness committees as well as enhancing functional early warning systems so that communities can adequately respond in case of an emergency,” he said.
With an estimated €2,7million euros (US$3,2 million) funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid operations (ECHO), the project aims to improve disaster preparedness, early response and access to inclusive education in protective environments for 135,555 children, 40,025 women and 36,946 men.
The two-year project which began its operations on the 1st of June, 2021 is being implemented in five districts namely Chipinge, Chimanimani, Buhera, Tsholotsho and Nkayi.
These districts are disproportionately affected by a combination of disasters, including droughts, floods, cyclones, and hailstorms that affect access to education services and erode disaster preparedness capacities.
The program is made up of three partners who will perform various roles in areas of operation. World Vision in Zimbabwe will lead the Emergency in Education component in Chipinge, Buhera, and Chimanimani districts.
Welthungerhilfe will spearhead Disaster Risk Reduction in Tsholotsho, Nkayi, Chimanimani while Christian Blind Mission will be the Technical Lead for Disability inclusion across all districts.
This Project comes on the back of Zimbabwe experiencing a series of climate-induced Tropical Storms and recurring droughts which have affected communities across the country.