JICA Vanuatu trainee receives certificate after completing online training

Feb 19, 2021 | Sista i Shine | 0

Ms Beverly Esau receiving her award from both JICA Vanuatu and VIPAM representatives.

With COVID-19 affecting international flights and borders, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Vanuatu has been offering online trainings for its participants in-country.

This week, JICA Vanuatu, in collaboration with the Vanuatu Institute of Public Management (VIPAM), presented a certificate to Beverly Esau, from the Vanuatu Environment Law Association (VELA) for completing her online trainings on Community Disaster Risk Management at the VIPAM conference room.

The program aims for national and local government officers to understand the significance of Disaster Risk Management (DRR) against natural disasters and the respective roles of self-help, mutual help and public help for DRR. It aims to equip officers with knowledge to consider DRR in their countries and understanding the examples of community-based DRR in Japan by introducing the counter measures in DRR in general and the DTT activities of residents (self-help organizations, schools, NPOs etc) in Japan.

Ms Esau said the course was very helpful as Japan and Vanuatu are countries both prone to natural disasters. She said that the DRR community-based approach carried out in Japan are effective and quickly addressed, all coordinated by BOKOMI, a Disaster-Safe Welfare community organization which is voluntary as well.

The trainee says she has learned a lot, especially on crisis management and awareness raising activities including counter-measures against COVID-19.

For her action plan, Esau plans on conducting community-based disaster risk awareness in Vanuatu to improve the ability of communities’ preparation for and mitigate the effects of disasters and ecosystem adaption. She stated that VELA has already submitted a concept note to a donor with the objective to review the Traditional Court systems in community conservation areas in Vanuatu.

However, she also stated that as an integrated development approach, they will also include disaster resilience in Vanuatu.

Ms Esau further mentioned that they intend to extend the training as a gender cross cutting priority whereby, she will be targeting women and girls.

VIPAM acknowledged Ms Esau for her participation and for being one of the first online training recipients to have successfully completed her courses. VIPAM acknowledged JICA Vanuatu for its funding assistance through its programs to address capacity buildings of public servants and training participants as well.

VIPAM further congratulated Ms Esau and looks forward to her action plans to be implemented in her programs as well.

JICA Vanuatu also congratulated Ms Esau on her success and said it is prepared to assist her in her plans.

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