Efforts to enhance disaster preparedness through schools hailed

The residents of the Kalash valleys of Bamburet, Rambur and Birir in Pakistan have appreciated the efforts of non-governmental organisations for enhancing disaster preparedness through educational activities focused on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the schools. Community elders said that children were “agents of change” who conveyed the message to each and every household and that this was a sound approach. Recent initiatives, they said, such as the School Safety Day organised by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat Pakistan have seen students leading awareness walks and participating in scenario-based simulations to educate their peers and parents. They said that by integrating WASH protocols, the programme also addressed the health vulnerabilities that typically follow flooding, such as water-borne diseases, which have historically paralysed life in these remote areas.