ActionAid Nepal is implementing a project titled “Surakshit Samudaya II”, a DIPECHO project in two disaster prone districts of Nepal, towards building disaster resilient c o m m u n i t i e s t h r o u g h d i s a s t e r management. The 15 months project is funded by European Commission Humanitarian Aid department under fifth DIPECHO Action Plan for South Asia and co-financed by Australian Government through AUSAID.

AAN-DIPECHO V project has 15 REFLECT facilitators who conduct 32 reflect circles in

3 project districts of Nepal. From September 2009 onwards, more than 300 sessions have been conducted sensitizing about 700 participants including 480 women. These participants further disseminate knowledge to their families and neighbors. In order to strengthen REFLECT process on disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness and social issues, a three days long training on REFLECT Refresher was organized during 11-13 December 2009 in Wildlife Resort, Bardiya.

Learning through games and drills

REFLECT in DIPECHO - Refresher Course for REFLECT Facilitators

Training Objective and methodologies Objective of the training

The objectives of the REFLECT Refresher training were:

To seek possible solution of the problems faced by the facilitators while organizing reflect sessions

To enhance knowledge, skills and capacity of the facilitators to become more capable facilitators

To orient the participants on the Responsibility and Right Based approach, PVA & climate change

To develop facilitation techniques of participants, thereby enhancing personality and leadership skills of the facilitators

Training Methodology

The training was organized in highly participatory method encouraging each and every participant in discussion, self-analysis, presentation and practises. The methodologies used were presentation brain storming, pair wise discussion, group discussion, role plays, micro-teaching, slogan and games. A documentary on Climate Change was shown and discussed during the training.

The materials used during the training were Meta card, newsprint, brown paper, LCD, Laptop, and documentary film. The books like Prakop Gyan Mala, Pre and Post disasters, Learning of Popular education and handout were distributed.

Facilitation

The lead facilitator of training was Shyam Sundar Jnavaly. Few sessions on leadership skills were taken by Dillu Raj Ghimire. The knowledge session on climate change was taken by Ashok Raj Pokharel. The input on issues of logistic and finances were provided by Shaurabh Sharma.

Surakshit Samudaya II

Building Disaster Resilient Communities, Nepal

Aug 2009, Kathmandu

REFLECT REFRESHER TRAINING

REPORT ActionAid Nepal DIPECHO Project Publication

A need assessment prior to the training session identified that REFLECT facilitators wanted to know how to use PVA findings to generate DRR discourses within the community. Thus REFRESHER course focussed on drawing PVA lessons and linking it to REFLECT based education in the community.

Back to Class Room environment

Who is a REFLECT Facilitator?

A Guide — A friend — A teacher/facilitator — Motivator — Change Agent —Counselor — Advocate of Rights — Person of principles and values — A person with optimism — Resource Person — A Role Model.

Surakshit Samudaya II: Building Disaster Resilient Communities, Nepal

The three days refresher training was initiated with agreeing on the objectives prepared on the basis of participants’ expectation. Training management team was formed to run the training smoothly.

The training was made interesting by using various methodologies. The broad topics of the training were: Problem Solving, Use of PVA tools in Reflect, Rights and Responsibilities in DRR, Role of reflect facilitators, Climate change and so on.

The participants were encouraged to present the updates as well as potential challenges. The facilitators suggested potential solutions to these problems. Ranking of most liked PVA tools for Reflect sessions was done which were social map, problem tree, seasonal calendar, and time line.

Tips for facilitation skills were also illustrated. Finally after evaluation, participants were given time to appreciatively think about dream village. They come up with few of the action plan.

REFLECT facilitators were encouraged to use diverse methods such as PVA tools, role plays, singing, story telling while conducting reflect centers upon returning to their areas.

Training procedure, evaluation and outcome

Mr. Bidhyananda Mehata, UPCA

Ms. Meena Urawa, UPCA

Ms. Shantidevi Mawrya, BEE Group

Mr. Dev Narayan Sharma, UPCA

Mr. Alam Miya, UPCA

Ms. Hasina Bano Mukeri, BEE Group

Mr. Khyam B. Dahal, UPCA

Ms. Rita Chaudhary, UPCA

Ms. Raj Kumari Harijan, BEE Group

Ms. Anita Gupta, UPCA

Ms. Kamali Chaudhary UPCA

Ms. Sarita Kumari Chaudhary, NP

Ms. Krishna Raut, Nav Prabhat

Ms. Nirmala Budhathoki, NP

Mr. Shishir Poudyal, Activist

Training was successful to boosting the confidence of the facilitators. Drawing from participants’ evaluation, the training was able to achieve its objective of making capable facilitators to effectively conduct reflect centers in their respective areas.

Using PVA in REFLECT

REFLECT facilitators learned how to use the information generated through PVA in their regular DRR discourses within the community through REFLECT circles. Use of social and vulnerability maps etc. are critical to give a pictorial understanding of vulnerabilities that will help community take its own decisions.

Climate Change and DRR

The impact of changing climate on the lives and livelihood of people cannot be ignored. Uncertainty over climate results in emergencies and it is important for the project to make people aware of this change in their lives, thereby bringing issues related to climate change and DRR from an unconscious level to a conscious level. This will in turn help people to be proactive to adapt themselves to vagaries of nature.

REFLECT Facilitators as Leaders

REFLECT facilitators are not just class room teachers. They are expected to play

Slogan for training Our goal: Surakshit Samudaya Our Work: Disaster Preparedness Our Campaign: Risk Reduction Our Friends: Poor, Women, Dalit, Disabled Janjati, & Children

Participants

There were 15 participants from local implementation partners, covering all the Reflect facilitators and one social mobilizers. Apart from partners field staffs, one participant was from ActionAid long term partners DA/DIs.

To reach key messages including use of PVA information and improving facilitation skills, the facilitators modelled many of the sessions, so as to give first hand experience of using information and skills at the field

a critical role in mobilizing, empowering and changing community knowledge, attitude and practices. This requires high level of motivational and leadership skills. The participants were exposed to some practical and useful leadership drills so as to inculcate skills to become proactive and efficient social change agents. The leadership drills surely improved the confidence and self-motivation of the participants.