By Belle Gallop | Partnerships Executive, Australian Red Cross
Two years ago Australia experienced the worst bushfire season on record. Incredible generosity from people in Australia and worldwide enabled our grants and recovery program to support those impacted as they recover and rebuild their lives. While our grants have now been disbursed, our recovery work continues.
Disaster recovery is a long and complex process. It goes beyond finances or rebuilding, and includes people’s sense of hope and self-worth, family security and community cohesion. While our grants have now been disbursed, our recovery program continues to help individuals cope with trauma and access support; communities to heal and strengthen their connections; and service providers (including governments, other NGOs, and community services) to meet the unique needs of bushfire survivors.
As people get further into their recover, their thinking often turns to building resilience and preparedness for the potential threat of future disasters. Experience tells us that this typically occurs in the second and third years, particularly as anniversaries and high-risk weather seasons approach.
Our training workshops help communities to manage their own recovery. Topics range from psychological first aid and communicating in recovery, to disaster memorials, supporting children, and community activism after disasters. Red Cross staff and volunteers tailor our workshops to local needs. This supports community leaders and disaster recovery workers to apply new learning to the specific concerns in their communities.
We have a unique network of community leaders and experts from decades of supporting and working with communities after disasters. These people form our Disaster Recovery Advisors and Mentors initiative. Our Disaster Recovery Advisors and Mentors are volunteers with professional and lived experience of disaster recovery. Our staff work to connect people in disaster affected communities with our Mentors and Advisors. Mentors act as a sounding board for local leaders who are supporting their communities through the recovery process. When needed or requested, our Advisors attend local community forums to share their expertise on a range of disaster recovery issues.
Our recovery staff and volunteers live in affected communities. Some were impacted by the fires themselves. They understand the local context and help resolve and advocate for people’s needs.
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