Across the Pacific traditional roles are evolving as women are provided with more opportunities to lead in community resilience. When Lenny attended a #DisasterREADY workshop run by #WorldVision Vanuatu, she gained technical skills in budgeting, project management and construction, all of which are areas where women are historically underrepresented.
After learning to mix cement, manufacture blocks, and manage a construction budget, Lenny project managed the build of a new home that will better protect her family from the threat of cyclones and other disasters.
Read how the Australian Government’s Disaster READY program is providing inclusive training that strengthens opportunities for women to lead - link in bio! /field-stories/she-made-it-happen-how-one-woman-project-managed-her-own-cyclone-safe-home
The Australian Government is committed to supporting National Disaster Management Offices in the Pacific through locally-led response and recovery.
After the devastating impact of Tropical Cyclone Maila, AHP partners CAN DO, Plan International, Save the Children, and World Vision have designed coordinated responses to quickly reach impacted communities across the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Working together in times of crisis means more people are reached and sooner.
Pictured: Plan International on the ground delivering clean drinking water in PNG and food items in Solomon Islands; Save the Children providing kitchen kits and hygiene kits to affected communities in Solomon Islands.
Investing in local educators can support sustainable disaster resilience. In Bougainville, PNG, where climate change and remote geography can impact the food security of communities, Plan International, is training community members in climate-smart farming and food preservation. Junior once a participant in the program, is now running trainings himself to ensure that long-term food security will stay within his community. LINK IN BIO
Driven by a desire to reshape her future, Kulsuma completed a six-day training on nakshi katha (Bengali embroidery), block batik (fabric printing), and sewing, organised by Mukti Cox's Bazar through the AHP response in Bangladesh, which supports both host communities and refugees.
With a small startup kit from the program, she began creating intricate embroidery and vibrant batik designs, quickly gaining appreciation from her neighbours. Kulsuma gradually increased her earnings, easing her family's financial worries. She has since diversified her income by raising chickens and cultivating vegetables, drawing inspiration from others in the program.
“Despite the many hardships, the skill development program from this project gave me a new lease on life. It’s helping me build a more stable future for my family.”
Link In Bio
“If we had undergone disaster preparedness training before Winston, we would not have panicked and lost lives.”
Through the Disaster READY program, Fijian leaders like Maraia are leading awareness sessions, guiding women in evacuation planning, and sharing the importance of #DisasterPreparedness with others in her community.
Link in Bio
Through the Australian Government’s Disaster READY program via Plan International, local residents in Metinaro, Timor-Leste, have taken ownership of their safety and installed manual sirens and established clear communication chains.
When heavy rains threaten to overflow the banks, trained community members monitor the water levels and sound the alarm, giving their neighbours time needed to evacuate. This system prioritises the most vulnerable, ensuring that the elderly and people with disabilities are reached first. By putting disaster management directly into the hands of those who live on the front lines, these communities are prepared to take action when its needed.
Read more at Link in Bio.
In Timor-Leste, the climate crisis is bringing shorter, more intense rains followed by long, harsh droughts. To help adapt to the unpredictability of the seasons, communities are working on protecting and strengthening water sources.With support from the Australian Government’s Disaster READY program, locals are digging debu (capture holes) and building concrete cisterns to catch the rain. The result? 🌱Springs that flow longer into the dry season.
🍅Thriving gardens filled with mustard greens and tomatoes.
🚰 Better hygiene and nutrition for school children.
As Jose, a local community leader, said: "With abundant water, we can plant... and secure our family's future."
Read more at link in bio
It’s International Women’s Day, and today we join others across the globe in a commitment to #BalanceTheScale. It’s a promise that every woman and girl – regardless of background or identity – should be safe, heard, and free to shape her own future.
After surviving drought and family violence, Elizabeth decided to restart her farm and plant nutritious vegetables after accessing training and farm tools through the AHP response in Kenya.
Living in a predominantly male-dominated community, Elizabeth is grateful to have a voice, to be a mentor to younger women, and to have a stable source of income through her garden.
‘’I feel more secure in case of another drought. I am not relying on livestock anymore, I am relying on my vegetable farm now, especially because I have water nearby,” Elizabeth said. "My in-laws do not harass me anymore because they know I am empowered and I even reported them. They no longer disturb me and now I can focus on my farm."
Learn more: link in bio or https://ahp.fyi/72n
#AustralianAid #Kenya #WomensLivelihoods #Protection
Margareta Arasio is a champion of good sanitation practices and hygiene in her community: and she is passionate about it. After learning about community-led total sanitation through the AHP response in Kenya, and seeing the difference it has made to child health, she is encouraging other villages to get on board.
“It is very hard to hear that a child in this village is suffering from diarrhea anymore. We drink clean treated water and most of the children can now go to school regularly. Before they were always sick, and even when they were okay, they had to go fetch water during the day instead,” Margareta recalls.
“We no longer wait for people to come and help us. We’ve seen what we can do when we work together,” she says proudly.
Learn more: link in bio or https://ahp.fyi/5db
#Kenya
#CLTS #AustralianAid
"This project has brought real change. We are no longer afraid of the floods. We have water to drink, trees to protect our soil, and savings to support our families. All we need now is to keep working together."
Through the Australian Government's Disaster READY program, Agustinho’s community in Oe-Cusse, Timor-Leste, has been working with Oxfam and local partner MANEO to drive its own locally-led disaster risk reduction. By building bamboo gabions, revitalising natural springs through reforestation, and developing local savings groups, Agustinho and his neighbours have worked hard to protect themselves from disasters and mitigate the impact of climate change.
Link in bio!
Low-lying coastal communities in Solomon Islands really are at the forefront of the climate crisis. Rising sea levels have flooded and killed off mangrove trees, exposing traditional agricultural areas, which in turn impacts what can be grown to eat and sell by the community. With support through the Australian Government's Disaster READY program, communities like Tanageu are receiving 'backyard gardening training' where they're provided tools and know-how to raise their garden beds, protecting food sources and livelihoods.
“Our ancestors didn't even understand food preservation... now my children won't be hungry.”
See how women in #PNG are adapting to climate change and using #DisasterREADY training to turn cassava into a year-round food source and a thriving small business.
Link in Bio!
