Tuesday, 22 May – On Monday 21st May, 2012, the Department of Disaster
Management (DDM) presented two publications and a children’s jigsaw puzzle to the
Ministry of Education and Culture.
The publications were a Pre-school Activity Book and a Disaster
Preparedness Brochure for the Disabled, and the puzzle depicted local disaster
events. They were graciously received Hon. Myron Walwyn and the officer
responsible for Early Childhood Development within his Ministry, Mrs. Jerelyn
Callwood.
The Pre-school Activity Book, “Learn About Disasters”, was designed to
educate children ages two through five and assist in developing hand-eye
coordination, problem solving, perceptual and fine motor skills while introducing
them to Disaster Management. The jigsaw puzzle displays hazards that have
impacted the Territory, and will be an additional hands-on learning tool for the
children.
The brochure, “Disaster Preparedness for the Disabled”, will be used by
persons with disabilities and/or their caretakers. It contains important
information to prepare them for the impact of any hazards that may affect the Virgin
Islands. This is part of a series of
brochures produced to inform and educate vulnerable groups throughout the
Territory. It follows a 2009 Brochure for the Elderly, which was produced with
support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
During the presentation, Honourable Walwyn said, “I am very pleased and delighted to receive this
assortment of educational material
that will introduce young children to, and remind adults about natural
disasters and emergency personnel.
“Parents and teachers can use this information packaged
in a fun,
interesting way to teach our youngest students on
the importance of being
safe and prepared before, during and after a
natural disaster. I thank all
the contributors for their role in producing this
timely information and
hope that as the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane season
approaches, we are all
found prepared.”
The Minister also expressed his appreciation for the work being done by
the DDM in supporting disaster awareness and preparedness throughout all
schools in the Territory. The DDM’s Information and Education Manger, Mr. Linton
Leonard, explained that the activity book is intended to help young children understand
and practice disaster preparedness through the use of puzzles, tracing letters,
matching games and other learning exercises. It was designed to incorporate the
local environment and include exercises and questions to ensure that the
learning process is interactive and appealing for the young minds.
The activity book and jigsaw puzzle were produced locally by Sage
Consultants with cover art done by Hannah Welch, a local student. The brochure
for the disabled was also produced locally by SYSTAR. Funding for the
production and printing of these publications was provided by the United
Kingdom Agency for International Development (UKAid) and CDEMA through the
Comprehensive Disaster Management Harmonization Implementation Programme (CDM/HIP).
The activity books and puzzles will be distributed to all schools throughout
the Territory and the brochure will be made available through schools,
community groups and District Offices on the Sister Islands. Limited copies of the material are available;
however, persons wishing to secure a copy can download it from the Publications
Section of the DDM’s website at www.bviddm.com.
