"Before, we did not know our rights, but we do now"

• Project Closure Assessment on Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Civil Defense and Save the Children worked from 2010 to 2014.

30.06.2014. Managua, Nicaragua. Andrea Núñez-Flores Rey

Children and adolescents participated in the project evaluation on Disaster Risk Reduction with Focus on Child Rights 2010-2014 of Civil Defense and Save the Children. These assessments will be conducted in rural and urban areas of Estelí, León, Somoto and El Cuá, municipalities where the project takes place.

During the meeting in Estelí, 44 participants identified the difficulties of the project, as the lack of monitoring by the authorities, and the achievements, including the creation of rescue units. They also evaluated the intervention of civil defense, their tasks, trainings and methodology.  

Children and adolescents also discussed how they had acquired leadership and values through their commitment as members of the brigades. According to the participants, this gives them ownership; now, they also know and claim their rights and develop risk management actions.

According to the Major Diaz, “during the project, local, municipal and school brigades have been created. We coordinate our work with other institutions to address many issues: civil protection; community health issues; good parenting practices; risk management, among others.

We have trained volunteers in first aid. We have also taught disaster prevention, and we do simulations for people to be prepared for natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. We also work a lot the issue of pollution and natural resources.”

The teacher of a school in Estelí, María Digna Cheve, explains "At school, we have formed scholar brigades with volunteer children. We do fire, floods or earthquakes simulations. There are also ecological brigades, road safety, school reinforcement, groups of interest to children as the network of masculinity, decent and secure work”.

Maria Jose, a 10-year-old girl of Estelí, says "adults treat us better than before the project. Before, they did not listen us or let us participate in many things".

 According to a community leader in Estelí "now, 60 per cent of families keep in mind the views of children. They have also changed their ideas about child labor and their rights”.

Major Diaz affirms that "local and municipal response capacities have been strengthened. Relationships between adults with adolescents have also improved. In visits to the communities, we have found that parents begin to understand that children and adolescents should develop and advance. We used to see the adolescents as objects, not as subjects of rights".

"Now, we are ready to any natural disaster", 10-year-old boy says cheerfully.