MDRM Program visits MERCY Malaysia to understand the realities of disaster response and risk reduction from the field
On 16 March 2018, the MDRM program visited MERCY Malaysia as part of the MMJD 1293 Healthcare in Emergencies and Rehabilitation course work. This visit was organized by Dr. Aznah Nor Anuar, course coordinator and senior lecturer of MJIIT. MERCY Malaysia is one of the key players that have been active in the field of humanitarian support and disaster risk management, not only in Malaysia, but also globally. As so, the MDRM students were able to acquire hands-on knowledge on how DRM/DRR planning and actions are taken on the actual field. We would like to thank MERCY Malaysia for their continuous understanding and support to the MDRM program.
| Schedule | Activity |
|---|---|
| 02.00 p.m. | Arrive at MERCY Malaysia |
| 02.00 p.m. – 03.00 p.m. | Introduction Talk – about organization of MERCY Malaysia, the establishment journey, global partnership and involvement of mercy in humanitarian mission in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) by Mdm Rossimah Mohamed, Head of Quality and Accountability. |
| 10.00 a.m. – 11.00 p.m. | Demonstration on PPE and Decontamination Operation |
| 03.00 p.m. – 04.00 p.m. | Talk on Strategic Initiative of MERCY Malaysia in Disaster Risk Reduction – Building Resilient Communities and School Preparedness Programme by Mr. Shah Fiesal Hussain, Head of Humanitarian Development Center. |
Lesson Learned:
• MERCY Malaysia is an international non-profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health-related development and risk reduction activities for vulnerable communities, in both crisis and non-crisis situation
• Building Resilient Communities (BRC) is MERCY Malaysia’s holistic approach towards disaster risk reduction by building the level of resiliency in communities which are vulnerable to disasters and hazards such as floods, earthquakes, typhoon and volcano eruptions through workshops, trainings hazard mapping, disaster simulations and action plan designing and implementations. It moves beyond the traditional disaster management approach of simply focusing on response, rehabilitation and rebuilding after a disaster event by involving the whole community which are: local government, communities, children and youth, health facilities and private sector
• Among the crucial DRR programmes conducted by MERCY Malaysia is the School Preparedness Programme. The programme is designed to raise awareness amongst students of the hazards they face and to help schools to minimise the risks posed by natural disasters, such as the seasonal floods in many parts of Malaysia, or earthquakes in China. Schoolchildren are taught simple, hands-on activities to prepare them to take responsibility for their own safety in the event of an emergency.Called the School Watching Workshop, the programme introduces a “Community-Based Hazard Mapping’’ tool to help school communities to identify hazards and risks in and around the schools and then devising solutions to make it a safer place.MERCY Malaysia also conducts Training of Trainers workshops with teachers and School Watching Workshops directly with students
For photos of this event, please visit HERE