1) Saritsa Foundation celebrated International Disaster Reduction Day from October 1-13, 2012 by organizing workshops in Udaipur, Rajasthan to empower girls and women to develop resilience and safety skills to cope with disasters. 2) The workshops educated over 20,000 people, including girls, women, disabled individuals, orphans, and medical staff, on guidelines from the Hyogo Framework and how to prepare disaster response plans using local resources. 3) Activities included awareness sessions, training, and mock drills to teach practical skills like first aid and using improvised equipment for flood evacuation. Saritsa Foundation aims to promote grassroots disaster risk reduction.

1. SARITSA FOUNDATION
CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL DISASTER REDUCTION DAY
EMPOWERS GIRLS AND WOMEN TO BE EQUAL PARTNERS
TO BE RESILIENT AND DEVELOP SAFETY CULTURE TO COPE
WITH DISASTERS FROM 1 TO 13 OCTOBER 2012

2. Saritsa Foundation celebrated International
Disaster Reduction Day by organizing workshops
for community groups at International Day
UDAIPUR, RAJASTHAN from 1 October to 13
October 2012. The focus of this year's for
Disaster Reductions Celebration has been to
sensitize equalization of opportunities to women
and girls to be resilient and identify the
importance of safety culture. Saritsa Foundation
advocates and practices People centered, People
led and People owned Disaster risk reduction
methodology to reach to the “Door Steps” of
people as a Mobile University. Girls , women and
women with disability have been nucleus of
building capacity for disasters since its birth on
5 June 2000.

3. The workshops were organized to translate ethos
and guidelines of Hyogo framework for action and to
further objectives of UNISDR into reality at grass
root level: Building understanding and
awareness, use knowledge, innovation, and build
culture of safety and resilience at all levels. Saritsa
Foundation has imparted knowledge and practical
training to 20,3500 people including 8,900 persons
with disabilities where women and girls have
touched about 40 percent of the participants. It has
paid specific attention to marginalized women in
women homes, tribal women and women sex workers
and their gill children.
Keeping in view its mission, Saritsa Foundation
identified 5 groups of people and conducted
workshops to raise awareness, impart
education, practical training with mock drills as well
as to use local resource to save lives in disasters.

4. The First group of participants consisted of 1100 girls and
women teachers of two schools for girls and one co education school where boys and girls study together with
equal numbers.
The second group of participants were 150 orphaned children
of Shri Pravin Shah orphanage Udaipur, Rajasthan. These
children needed this education most because they do not have
any access to such an education to protect themselves.
The third group of participants were 150 deaf, dumb and
visually impaired participants of APNA GHAR, UDAIPUR. To be
with them with an instructor of sign language, was highly
satisfying when they took part in practical practices and mock
drills.
The fourth group of participants for the workshop were 125
hospital staff, nursing assistants and doctors of Narayan Sewa
Sansthan Hospital for Polio patients.
The fifth group of participants were members of Vigyan
Samiti, Meera Rotary Club, Mahaveer International, Inner wheel
Club, Maheshswari manswini, Sakhi Club and vishveswariya
College of Fire and Safety Engineering who took active part in
interactive sessions and practiced use of local resources in
mock drills. It is satisfying to mention that 50 percent members
in this workshop were women.

5. These participants were provided with useable inputs of
awareness, knowledge, to save lives with practical
training and mock drills. They were encouraged to use
local resources to respond to disasters and make family
disaster management plans to be first aid of Disaster Risk
Reduction. School children were guided to organize
rescue teams for earthquake and flood.
It was experienced that, in spite of best efforts by
national state, local and international agencies who are
making valuable contributions in preparing community
groups. There is a long way to make people safer at grass
root level. This sensitizes the need to promote “Bottom
Upward” mechanisms for Disaster Risk Reduction. It is to
be remembered at all celebrations of international
community, that, preparing people at grass root is heart
and soul of building capacity.
The mission continues

6. PHOTOGRAPHS SPEAK !!

7. A Girl and A Teacher use a
improvised floater for Floods
A Practice.
Girls - Children's at
Workshop.

8. Women members of Vigyan
Samiti, Rotary Club, Lions Club
and Sakhi Club take equal part
in preparing for Disasters.
A women member forms part of
Rescue Team for Floods.

9. A School Rescue Team of Girls
Mahila Mandal Higher
Secondary School - Udaipur.
A Women Teacher Demonstrate
how to protect her head in an
emergency of an Earth quake.

10. A School Rescue Team of
Stanvard High SchoolUdaipur, being prepaid at the
Workshop.
A Happy group of Teachers and
Students after the Workshop.

11. Pro. Smita Kadam at a
Workshop for Hospitals staff at
Narayan Seva
Sansthan, Hospitals for Polio
Patients at Udaipur.
The Participants at the
Workshop.

12. The Team of Doctors at a Mock
Drill at the Hospitals.
A Mock Drill for Extinguishing
Fire at the Hospitals.

13. Deaf , Dumb and Visually
Impaired Children of Apna
Ghar at a Work shop at
Udaipur.
Deaf , Dumb and Visually
Impaired Children practice
protecting their head for an
emergency of an Earthquake.

14. Teachers of Deaf , Dumb and
Visually Impaired Children
practice evacuation of
children.
Deaf , Dumb and Visually
Impaired Children practice.

15. Orphane d Children of Pravin
Shah Orphan age at a
Workshop.
A Child rescue another child
during an electric shock – a
Mock Drill.

16. Children practice to occupy
corner of a House and protect
their Head in an emergency of
an Earthquake.
Children practice to occupy
corner of a House and protect
their Head in an emergency of
an Earthquake.

17. THE TEAM OF SARITSA FOUNDATION