The Delhi Government along with a non-governmental organisation held an awareness programme in about 50 schools of East Delhi to create awareness among the children about safety and disaster management.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia appreciating the Honeywell Safe Schools Programme that initiated by SEEDS India in 50 schools of East Delhi in 2019, said, "Developing a 360 degree understanding of Disaster management is very important in our city especially in unauthorised colonies and slum areas. Through this project, there has been a conscious effort to inculcate the right mindset (on safety) amongst our younger generations with respect to tackling disaster in schools and their living spaces."
The aim of this programme is to work towards risk reduction, holistically and seeks to ensure that children go to school without fear, remain safe and return home safely.
"We should enlighten the kids and sensitise them towards safety hazards with respect to architectural and structural faults of their homes, schools and other buildings. If we teach our children about disaster management, they will evolve as thinking adults who will strive to abide by the safety parameters in their homes, schools and nearby buildings," said Sisodia.
He also added that students should be encouraged to speak up where they find faults with respect to safety of their surroundings, "We have to encourage the children to speak up without a shudder. They should be brave enough to highlight the safety hazards identified by them in front of their parents, their neighbours, teachers and even their leaders. We should not just give them knowledge but also encourage them to speak up whenever they come across a loophole."
It is encouraging to see that people from different sectors are coming together to work on the problems faced by the citizens and the society on the whole. We aim that this programme should expand to more schools and to reach out to all 44 lakh students of Delhi, he said.
About 52,000 children, 45,000 parents and 2,200 teachers participated in the programme that aims to empower children for building resilience.