DR Congo: World Vision employees Trained In Safety Awareness In National Theaters

By Didier Nagifi, Communications Officer

From 5 to 8 November, World Vision DRC organised a training course on Safety Awareness In National Theaters (SAINT) in Kola, in the province of Kongo Central. This initiative brought together 27 staff members from various provinces of the country, with the main objective of strengthening the security of teams in the field in an environment often marked by various risks and threats.

The training aimed to raise participants' awareness of the specific security challenges they face daily, by developing a heightened awareness of personal security and introducing effective risk management methods. Sylvain Matanda, Associate Security Manager at World Vision, said : 

‘This training has enabled our colleagues to better understand the risks and threats, and above all to know how to ensure their safety, because personal safety is the first step before ensuring the safety of the team’.

The trainers, including Ferdinand Njike, Country Security Manager, shared crucial knowledge about individual risk management, with an emphasis on practical aspects such as digital security and crisis response strategies. Particular emphasis was placed on vigilance when traveling, with physical exercises to simulate emergencies, such as self-defense techniques or simulations to protect oneself in case of crossfire. 

One of the topics covered was crowd management during food distributions, which are often fraught with tension. Participants learned how to adopt good practices to make these high-risk moments safer. 

‘This training has been a real eye-opener. Even though we live in the capital, we learned about the realities and essential reactions when faced with high-risk situations such as kidnappings. Today, we are better prepared to react,’ said Angelique, World Vision Bookkeeper.

The exercises enabled the teams to prepare themselves to respond to unforeseen crises. Freddy Kabeya, Risk Manager at World Vision, noted that: ‘this training gave us a better understanding of the challenges of security in the field and helped us to prepare to react effectively, even in the most unexpected situations’.

In addition to physical security practices, the training also highlighted the importance of incident documentation. The training enabled participants to learn about specific communication tools in the field, reminding them of the importance of reporting any incident to ensure a rapid and effective response. ‘Initially, we thought we knew the basics of safety, but this training proved to us that we were wrong. We now know the importance of constant vigilance in difficult situations. This training has reminded us that every moment counts.’

This SAINT training was an essential step in preparing World Vision DRC teams to operate in high-risk environments. Participants are now better equipped to deal with security challenges. They can continue to carry out their mission in the most nationally fragile areas to deliver humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities and children.