DRR Brand Ambassadors on the frontline of COVID-19 response! [India]
From 2015 to 2018, SEEDS Asia implemented a project on disaster risk reduction in Varanasi, India. Well-known local professionals from different sectors – medical, education, law, household and commercial – were trained in DRR. Of these, 10 of them were selected to serve as “Brand Ambassadors” to disseminate the message of DRR among the local communities.
One of the Brand Ambassadors, Dr. Prasanna, a doctor in emergency medical treatment, underwent training conducted by SEEDS Asia in partnership with the National Disaster Response Force No. 11 and also participated in one of the Japan Study Visits to Kyoto as part of the project’s activities. We were very pleased to have learnt recently that our brand ambassador was serving on the frontline response to the COVID-19 crisis, and his efforts in raising citizens’ awareness on prevention measures was featured in a local newspaper “Amar Ujala”.
It is heartening to see that in this crisis, which could potentially trigger the collapse of medical facilities and create problems in receiving prompt assistance, the DRR Brand Ambassadors are working in their respective fields to reach out to those who have such difficulties. This brought home the realization for us that developing a network of DRR practitioners in different fields is key to minimizing the impacts of calamities.