Empowering Communities Through Disaster Risk Reduction Education

By: Lineo Monalana, Advocacy, Policy & Communications Officer ECHO, Lesotho

In Lesotho, Mokhotlong district is one the areas that are prone to disasters. The persistent threat of hydro-meteorological hazards poses severe challenges to sustainable education and community resilience. Given the terrain of this district, heavy snow, heavy rainfalls causing flash floods and extremely cold weather conditions are the hazards that threaten lives and livelihoods of citizens living in this area.  The need for proactive disaster preparedness and risk mitigation have become more critical to ensure safety of the population in this district, that is currently estimated around 100 000. Recognizing this urgency, the Consolidating and Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (CSDRR) Project, funded by European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), is playing a transformative role in 5 community councils equipping learners and communities with essential knowledge and practical skills to enhance their adaptive capacity.

Understanding the role of children in disaster preparedness, a cornerstone of this initiative is the establishment of Disaster Risk Reduction Clubs (DRR Clubs) within schools. These clubs are meant to provide structured platforms for hazard awareness, knowledge dissemination, and promote risk-informed decision-making among students. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Disaster Management Authority, systematic training sessions to empower learners to analyze vulnerabilities, assess disaster risks, and implement localized risk reduction measures whether in schools or at home are undertaken continually.

For many learners, participation in these clubs has been life-changing. Twelve-year-old Pabatso, for instance, had minimal awareness of disaster preparedness before joining. Through targeted training on early warning, emergency response planning, and mitigation, he has developed a profound understanding of risk-informed behavior and resilience building.

“We used to attribute disasters to misfortune, but now we understand hazard exposure, vulnerabilities, and coping mechanisms. We have learned that preparedness can reduce disaster impact in our villages.”  - Pabatso

 Pabatso further highlighted that him and his fellows can now identify possibility of heavy rains by looking at the formation of clouds, and do necessary preparations such as digging water channels behind houses to avoid flooding of water into the houses.

To deepen risk literacy and participatory learning, World Vision facilitated an inter-school disaster risk reduction learning session at Lihlabeng Primary School. This event convened learners from Lihlabeng, ‘Malefiloane, Linots’ing and Nkotoane primary schools, engaging them in structured activities such as competitive debates, spelling bees, and applied risk communication exercises through theatrical performances. Debates tackled critical discussions on disaster governance, integrated risk management, and school safety frameworks. Spelling bees reinforced technical disaster risk reduction terminology, familiarizing learners with key concepts like resilience-building, hazard mapping, and mitigation. 

The theatrical performances creatively translated scientific disaster risk reduction knowledge into culturally relevant narratives that resonate with children and their implications to their daily lives. During these activities, learners narrated the stories around how disasters affect their education, raising concerns on absence of early warning systems to inform them about hazards, and unsafe learning conditions. They however equally narrated the importance of the disaster risk reduction clubs that have been instrumental in offering them education as they can now identify hazards and respond timeously and further attested on how the education has impacted their families, explaining that parents now know measures to undertake during heavy snow and rains. 

Participating in these activities has significantly boosted students’ confidence in articulating DRR strategies, particularly in advocating for comprehensive school safety and contingency planning. According to Mr. Renang Hlao, a teacher from ‘Malefiloane Primary School, these learning forums generate ripple effect within communities, as educated learners become catalysts for change.

“These forums are crucial for learners in combating the impact of disasters because they share information with their parents, promoting disaster risk reduction within our communities. Even here at school, they are the ones who give us alerts of the possibility of heavy rains”. - Mr. Hlao said with gratitude.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education plays a vital role in fostering long-term resilience and adaptive capacity among vulnerable communities. Schools serve as powerful hubs for instilling disaster preparedness at an early age, ensuring that future generations grow up with the knowledge and skills to reduce disaster impacts. By embedding DRR principles into school curricula, children become not just learners but also active agents of change within their families and neighborhoods. DRR education further helps to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and community practices, translating technical concepts into accessible, actionable strategies that can be implemented at the grassroots level. It empowers communities to shift from a reactive approach which is responding to disasters as they occur, to a proactive stance focused on risk prevention and preparedness.

In areas around the schools with clubs parents are witnessing the transformative impact of DRR education firsthand. Families now actively engage in disaster preparedness by reinforcing home structural security and participating in community risk assessments. The knowledge imparted to students is not confined to the classroom it extends into households, strengthening community resilience at a grassroots level.

The World Vision Project officer in Mokhotlong Miss Liteboho Moqaleka affirms that through the Consolidating and Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction Project, World Vision continues to champion a culture of preparedness, risk literacy, and resilience-building among children, stakeholders and community members.

“By institutionalizing Disaster Risk Reduction education and fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, this initiative is equipping young learners with the competencies they need to mitigate disaster risks and safeguard their futures”. - Liteboho

Disaster risk reduction education is not just an academic exercise, it is a lifesaving investment in the next generation. To build resilient communities, we must continue advocating for inclusive disaster risk reduction policies, scalable education programs, and enhanced community engagement. Governments, organizations and local stakeholders must prioritize integrating disaster risk reduction education into national curricula, ensuring that every child is equipped with the tools to respond to disasters effectively. 

The time to act is now. By scaling up disaster risk reduction education, we can create a world where communities are prepared, risks are mitigated, and disasters no longer result in widespread devastation. Together, we can empower young leaders to become the change agents of tomorrow, ensuring that no community remains vulnerable to the unpredictable forces of nature.