Teachers learn about Disaster Risk Reduction focused on children's rights

• Workshops in rural areas of Prinzapolka, Ocotal and Quilalí
• Save the Children trains teachers and officials of Education Ministry

June 16^th, 2014. Managua, Nicaragua. Andrea Núñez-Flores Rey

91 teachers and technicians of the Education Ministry (MINED) participate in workshops on "Disaster Risk Reduction with focus on chidren’s rights" by Save the Children in rural areas from Nicaragua.  The goal is to train teachers to share the knowledge gained with other educators, students and community workers in vulnerable areas of Prinzapolka, North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), Quilalí and Ocotal, Nueva Segovia.

On 12^th and 13^th June, the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program coordinator of Save the Children, Beatriz Ruiz, taught the course in Ocotal. Among other topics, participants identified risk scenarios in their communities and schools as well as the vulnerabilities of their environment and the threats from a rights perspective.

"We were very interested about doing this workshop to learn more about DRR, especially if an emergency occurs in school schedule. We wanted to learn what we need to do to protect children and ourselves", says Angela Guevara, MINED official, partner of Save the Children.

Participants from Ocotal are teachers and principals of municipal schools, who were very active. At the end of the training, they performed simulations in which they explained to their students what they learned about Risk Management with focus on rights.

According to the MINED official, “it was an excellent workshop. Sometimes, we lack tools to expand knowledge, but in this training we have gained very good methods with which we can propose strategies to develop with our students. For the Education Ministry, it is essential to build a culture of DRR and combine it with the focus on children's rights. With the information we have learned, we can strengthen the capacities of children and communities.”