Mandeville, Jamaica…[Nigel Coke/WIU/IAD]
Every year natural disasters can be catastrophic to the lives of millions of people around the world. Therefore, proactive measures and responses are necessary to provide relief to the many persons who are displaced during such difficult times. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Jamaica in collaboration with ADRA International hosted an emergency management seminar. The two-day seminar was held in Mandeville, Sep.18-19.
Participants were guided through the rudiments of disaster preparedness and emergency management by Pastor Wallace Amundson, ADRA director for Inter-America, Sasha Ross, Technical Assistant, Emergency Management at ADRA International, and Ronald Jackson, director of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Jamaica.
The seminar’s objective was aimed at informing, educating and guiding participants of ADRA Jamaica through the development and purpose of national preparedness and response plans.
Participants in the seminar were instructed on ways in which they can plan effectively for natural disasters, prevent failure, contain chaos, use resources, and respond quickly to emergencies.
The focus on preparedness was paramount throughout the seminar bearing in mind the recent passage of Category 4 Hurricane Dean that entered the eastern Caribbean on Aug. 17, bringing torrential downpours and intense winds to the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, and Guadaloupe, southern Haiti, as well as the southern coast of Jamaica.
“One of the primary focuses of the Inter-American Division (IAD) is training throughout the year” said Pastor Amundson. “We have to ensure that our directors in this region, which is prone to natural disasters, are trained in disaster preparedness and emergency management. We see it as a necessity before, during and after a disaster. We remain committed to helping in whatever way we can. We [in ADRA] collaborate with local authorities, non-governmental organizations and communities, to provide assistance to those who are affected by disasters in this region,” he added.
In Jamaica, the government had selected ADRA to be one of the agencies in charge of the registration of hurricane-affected families. In addition, ADRA Jamaica sourced and distribution of goods in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean.
In his remarks, Director of ODPEM, Mr. Jackson commended ADRA Jamaica for its relief efforts during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and more recently Hurricane Dean. Mr. Jackson said ADRA has a wide-ranging network into the various communities across Jamaica and it further helped when ADRA developed its disaster management mechanism in a formal way. “We have been working closely with Pastor Desmond Robinson to tackle some of these specific challenges and to put mechanisms in place to move forward,” Mr. Jackson said.
ADRA Jamaica’s collaboration with ODPEM, Jackson said has marked a significant process of emergency management and response in Jamaica. The ODPEM Director further stated that he felt that ADRA Jamaica had capacity and the leadership on the ground to drive that process forward. “We have had strong support from ADRA. We have partnered on the USAID project where we were able to push through a lot of our relief responses, meeting the demands and filling the gaps in many of our constituents,” Jackson said.
The ODPEM Director further stated that he felt that ADRA Jamaica had capacity and the leadership on the ground to drive that process forward. “We have had strong support from ADRA. We have partnered on the USAID project where we were able to push through a lot of our relief responses, meeting the demands and filling the gaps in many of our constituents,” Jackson said.
Pastor Amundson and Ross also sought to clarify the distinction between ADRA and Adventist Community Services (ACS). During a discussion forum, concern was expressed that many persons including Seventh-day Adventists were of the misconception that ADRA only provides relief for Seventh-day Adventists.
According to Ross, church members she said must be educated on the role, work and function of ADRA in order to clear the misconceptions. “ADRA was designed as a relief agency to provide assistance for Adventists and non-Adventists in developing countries. Therefore a clear level of distinction between ADRA and ACS needs to be adapted,” she added. Participants were charged with the responsibility to inform and educate their churches on this important issue.
In moving forward, several solutions were put forward by the organizers and participants to improve and sustain the operations of ADRA Jamaica. Among the solutions were plans to implement public health education and training, housing reconstruction training and developing sustainable economic development projects.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is the humanitarian agency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church which is active in 125 countries. ADRA seeks to identify and address social distortions and deprivation in developing countries. They work at bringing solutions and training, rather than just welfare. Helping people in need, is the primary goal, especially those most vulnerable such as women, children and senior citizens regardless of religious affiliation, age, gender or political persuasion.
