(JANUARY, 2012-AUGUST, 2013)

FUNDED BY USAID/OFDA THROUGH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS (US$345,226)

Number of beneficiaries targeted in Belize: 55,200

This project aimed to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and socio-economic impact from climate-related and other disasters in the Caribbean communities.

This project is still ongoing and has seen many accomplishments so far. VCAs have been carried out in most of the 14 communities. There have been community participation and engagement in most of the communities with the leadership and guidance from experienced Staff and Volunteers. These activities were mainly focused on the VCA tools of community mapping and direct observation and the household assessments.

Community members are brought together, regardless of political affiliation, religion, color, sex or age, to participate in community training in disaster preparedness and risk reduction. The community of Jane Usher became very participatory and quickly formed their CDRT and were trained and equipped. This group, today called Jane Usher Neighourhood Association (JUNA) is a registered body and is doing positive work within the Jane Usher Boulevard area.

A video was completed in the Jane Usher community in Belize City and a climate change video in Stann Creek. Both these videos can be accessed on the website of the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent (ifrc.org), on YouTube sites and on the Belize Red Cross Face Book page.

One key success to highlight is the Ministry of Health’s approach to the Belize Red Cross to identify volunteers in the Jane Usher Boulevard community to receive monthly training as Community Nurse’s Aides. 16 volunteers were recruited, 2 males and 14 females and are presently working with the Ministry of Health in their community outreach programs.

Through this project other achievements to realize are:

• The recruitment and training of more volunteers into the National Intervention Team (NIT)

• Volunteer Management in Emergency training

• First Aid training

• Selection of Community Disaster Response Teams from the 14 target communities and

• training and equipping of these teams

• Development of Community Disaster Plans and Drill exercises

• Family Preparedness

• Development and implementation of Micro-Mitigation Projects