GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre (WCPDMC) last week reached out to hundreds of Garden Route primary school learners with its annual disaster awareness campaign which uses a theatre setup to make it a fun learning experience.
The interactive performances featured Gerry the Giraffe, who educated children on disaster preparedness in a fun and memorable way.
The initiative is funded through Santam's Partnership for Risk and Resilience and was rolled out in collaboration with the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre.
The Western Cape Education Department’s district school safety officer nominated schools to participate in this year’s campaign, focusing on eight schools.
It kicked off in Bitou, followed by sessions in George and Mossel Bay, and concluding in Oudtshoorn.
The programme features an engaging 40-minute musical play designed to educate learners on critical safety and security measures within schools, as well as essential flood and fire awareness.
The play also highlights the dangers of contributing factors to disaster risks, such as electrical outages and illegal dumping, and their role in exacerbating fire and flood incidents.
The goals of the campaign are to instil a culture of disaster risk resilience within communities. Learners are also equipped with basic emergency preparedness through the demonstration of practical safety tips and they also learn the emergency numbers off by heart.
Similar awareness sessions have previously been rolled out at schools in the region, during which it was established that learners engage more effectively when addressed in their mother tongue.
As a result, during this round, the campaign targeted eight isiXhosa first-language schools.
"The ongoing partnership between the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre, and Santam’s Partnership for Risk and Resilience enables the district to reach young minds with crucial disaster preparedness information," said Herman Pieterse, GRDM communications chief.
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