Heroes in life jackets
Stories of Dong Luong Community Response Team
Plan International Vietnam, as part of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, is collaborating with local governments and other partners to support Community Response Teams in Quang Tri province by providing equipment, trainings on crucial knowledge and skills.
“In 2020, one of my friends had her own canoe and went around households that lived near the riverbanks to warn them about the coming floods. But they didn’t listen. Quang Tri province had always had flood every year, what would be different this time?’ Then came the greatest flood we had ever seen, with devastating consequences. I remember how hopeless and feeble she felt then, so I wanted to be different. I want to be a part of the Community Response Team,” said Nguyet Anh.
Since the official regulations on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2020, each commune in Quang Tri province established their own Community Response Team with about 20 members. Together with the local government, they set up a 5-year Response Plan for community resilience against natural hazards, and every year, they conduct full review and adjust based on consultations with community members and actual needs. Lam explained: “As part of the Community Response Team, we have clearly defined roles and plan of actions before, during, and after a flood. Having this guideline really helps us to prepare and be ready, especially in the face of emergencies.”
Members of the team participated in many capacity-building workshops and trainings, such as first aids, evacuation, shelter reinforcement, knowledge and skills in disaster response activities, and rescuing drowning victims, etc. Be, a newly joined member, shared: “Back then, I was really confident in my swimming ability, so I thought that I wouldn’t have any problem at all diving in and helping. But thanks to these trainings and drills, I’ve learnt that there are many risks I did not know, and I need to prioritize my own safety, before I can save others. That’s why I always put on a life jacket.”
This cadre of first respondents is entrusted with enhancing their community flood resilience through various activities: awareness-raising communication sessions; making public announcements via loudspeakers or chat groups on social media; identifying the most vulnerable households with pregnant women, small children, elderly people, people with disabilities, and households most at risks when disasters strike; leading evacuations efforts by moving people and their belongings to higher grounds; securing and maintaining shelters and equipment; trimming tree branches before heavy storms; rescuing isolated individuals; cleaning up after a flood; and more.
Managing all these responsibilities requires a lot of time and energy from each member, but as Nguyet Anh sees, is also immensely rewarding: “At first, it was difficult to reach out to all the households in a commune, because some don’t engage in our chat groups, and some don’t want to go to our meetings. When mass communication means don’t work, I’d personally visit their household and share with them information on weather forecast and the anticipatory actions to take. Initially. they weren’t very receptive, especially the elders since they have their own way of life, but I didn’t give up. Day after day I kept coming, and eventually people started to open up and welcome us more.” Lam also agrees: “People now believe that preserving life is much more important than their belongings. Although we are young, we are spreading important messages so everyone can take precautionary actions instead of waiting till the flood comes and dealing with the consequences. Now everyone knows who we are, and what the Community Response Team is.”
Despite the tremendous responsibilities entrusted upon them, they remain humble and light-hearted. As the saying goes: “Some heroes don’t wear capes,” in Dong Luong Community, these figures can often be seen wearing life jackets and a bright smile when helping locals collect and handle thrash after a severe flood. At the end of the interview, Lam jokingly says: “I’m very glad to have all these skills, and I know that we are ready. But I wish we can remain inactive for as long as we can. It’s for the sake of our beloved community.”
Plan International Vietnam, as part of the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, is collaborating with local governments and other partners to directly support Community Response Teams in Quang Tri province. From providing equipment, to trainings on crucial knowledge and skills, we ensure that each Community Response Team is now more ready than ever to face any emergency situations.
Categories: Emergencies
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