We plan to deliver 3 five-day community-based Disaster Management courses for 60 volunteer first responders and local NNGOs, CBOs, and government departments around Dhaka, where garment factory disasters regularly kill or injure thousands, as in Savar this spring. The course will cover Search and Rescue, Disaster Management, Fire and Safety, and First Aid, ensuring volunteer rescuers are prepared to save lives the next time an industrial or natural disaster happens.
The building collapse in Savar is not a one-off occurrence. It will happen again and soon. It is estimated that 60% of factory buildings in Bangladesh are unsafe. In Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, the clothing sector is a $20 billion business, accounting for a huge 80% of exports and employing about four million people, mostly women and children. The size of the Bangladeshi garment sector means its workplace safety problems will not soon be solved and disasters will continue.
We plan to apply in Bangladesh the learning materials, wisdom, and skills developed through our Disaster Management programme in Pakistan. We will deliver 3 five-day community-based disaster risk management courses for up to 60 people from the volunteer first responder group and local NGOs, CBOs, and government departments around Dhaka. We will also help form a first responder team of volunteers, trained and prepared to respond, and help them put in place a Disaster Management plan.
The programme will empower local communities with the skills, awareness, and knowledge to respond to future disasters as effectively as possible to reduce their impact. The main principle behind our disaster management training is that it is community-based because, wherever a disaster strikes, it is locals who are the first to respond.
