B.V.I. Friday, October 2 – In an effort to further promote disaster awareness in the Territory, the Department of Disaster Management has teamed up with the Ministry of Education and Culture to launch two activity books and four disaster preparedness posters for children.
The material was officially presented to Hon. Andrew Fahie, Minister for Education and Culture this morning by Information and Education Manager with the DDM, Mr. Linton Leonard. In his presentation to the Minister, Mr. Leonard encouraged the use of the books and posters in schools, communities and families with the intention of helping children to understand and practice the disaster preparedness tips given.
The Minister expressed his appreciation for the work being done by the DDM in supporting disaster awareness and preparedness throughout all schools in the Territory.
The activity books are designed to provide practical activities related to basic information on disasters and how to cope with them. The books, which are targeted towards earthquake and flood preparedness are packed with exercises and questions to ensure that the learning process is interactive.
The posters give clear and basic instructions on what to do when you hear the sound of the National Siren System; they provide assistance in creating a family disaster plan and displays what to do when an earthquake occurs. The content, artwork and layout of the books were done by Travis Fonseca, a teacher at the Althea Scatliffe Primary School. The artwork used in the posters was done by two artists residing in the BVI, Ms. Pearl Friday and Ms. Claudette Tittle.
Copies of the books and posters have been distributed to all pre-primary and primary schools in the Territory and copies are available for free download from the DDM Website at www.bviddm.com.
The production of the books and posters was funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
British Virgin Islands News