The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji held a debrief meeting in Suva on March 28 to assess the effectiveness and what could have been done better during the implementation of its Disaster Ready Project pilot.
Funded by the South Pacific Division, the one-year pilot project was created to build resilient communities and churches, prepare them to respond to disasters, and equip church members to be active in their approach to climate change.
The initiative was highlighted by local media and featured on Fiji One News and FBC News.
According to ADRA Fiji emergency coordinator Samisoni Loga, the project—coming to the end of its first year this month—was piloted in five churches in the central division of Fiji where volunteers were trained to respond to disasters.
“With the end of the training that was conducted in the churches, we’ve been able to formulate a Church Emergency Management Plan (CHEMP), which will be taken back to the community as a guideline to help them during times of disasters,” said Mr Loga in an interview to FBC News.
Around 80 people, including Fiji Mission representatives and members of the five participant churches, attended the workshop. During the meeting, beneficiaries and stakeholders provided collaborative feedback about the successes of the project and recommendations for the future.
