Shania Shayal Prasad 
file photo
The Fiji Red Cross Society is placing renewed focus on empowering young Fijians to be disaster-ready.
This as they move to revitalize their once-strong Junior Red Cross program, aiming to build a generation of confident, informed and resilient children.
Fiji Red Cross Society Director General Ragigia Dawai says this renewed effort comes at a time when youth preparedness is more critical than ever, with natural disasters becoming increasingly frequent and severe.
Dawai says the goal is to embed disaster awareness and resilience at the grassroot level.
“So what better way to be able to teach someone to be more prepared, but when they’re young, just like when you teach a young child of a new dialect, it starts from when they’re young.”
Dawai says the program trains teachers and uses volunteers to teach kids disaster response, safety drills, and leadership, similar to Girl Scouts.
She adds that such community programs are key to building resilience in communities.
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