Long-term Resilience Building in Dominica

A June 2022 survey found that 92% of Dominicans still see climate change as a real threat.  53% have ‘strongly experienced’ its effects personally, and 76% are worried about future threats. Most Dominicans believe that not enough is being done to combat climate change, yet 80% of the population feels a personal responsibility to act.

With incremental but steady economic growth anticipated over the next four years, it is crucial to maintain sustainable and climate-resilient growth and recovery. IsraAID continues to partner with the government, educational institutions, and other key partners to build climate resilience and reduce the risk of future disasters in Dominica through education and livelihood programs, from the youngest to the oldest members of the population across the whole island.

DRR education for early childhood development (ECD) 

Kay and Kelan can Prepare for Different Hazards, our new activity book for children aged 3-5 

Following the success of 'Kay and Kelan Prepare for a Hurricane in 2020,' we have produced another book, this time covering multiple hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides,  floods, volcanoes, and fires. We piloted the book in four schools and will soon distribute it to all ECD centers on the island. 'Kay and Kelan can Prepare for Different Hazards' includes a relatable story, creative activities, and important reminders to engage children in developing age-appropriate understanding. It is accompanied by a teachers’ manual and family emergency plan template, which guide caregivers to maximize this creative resource.  

DRR and psychosocial support (PSS) workshops for ECD parents and teachers  

In May-June, we held five DRR workshops and two PSS workshops for parents and teachers of ECD students in 17 schools, including the indigenous Kalinago Territory. 88% of participants increased their knowledge of hazards, vulnerabilities, and physical, emotional, and behavioral reactions to crises; all participants reported increased confidence in preparing and responding to disasters, including supporting others. One of the workshop sessions introduced parents and teachers to the activities in Kay and Kelan can Prepare for Different  Hazards, so that they can maximize the book.

Volunteers from our long-term partners Youth Emergency Action Committee provided support and ran activities for children. We are planning further sessions with these teenage volunteers to continue important conversations on DRR, community resilience, and the role of youth. 

Inclusive DRR for children with special educational needs 

IsraAID has worked with the Ministry of Education, Office for Disaster Management, and  Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica since 2018 to develop and refine School  Emergency Operation Plans (SEOPs). We are now delivering inclusive DRR education and developing SEOPs for schools serving children with special educational needs (SEN). We launched in three schools in June, serving 53 students up to 16 years old with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

We visited each school to meet students and staff and assess building sizes, layouts, and existing resources. We provided over 100 items like whistles, megaphones, fire extinguishers, solar lightbulbs, and Braille emergency exit signs. We distributed 61 Emergency Preparedness Toolkits from the Wisconsin Council on Physical Disabilities, and 23 Hazards, Disasters, and Climate Change books to the schools and other key stakeholders. We are raising awareness of SEN children’s needs in emergencies and DRR.

Thank you for your continued support. 

Work Online Dominica (WOD) is an initiative by the Government of Dominica’s Ministry of Public Works and The Digital Economy, in collaboration with IsraAID, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Dominica State College.

The aim of the initiative was to equip 60 professionals with the tools and resources necessary to leverage their skills and experience to access online freelance opportunities, over the course of 12 weeks.

After the implementation of two Cohorts, WOD continues to engage professionals between the ages of 18 to 45 years, with extra emphasis on graduates from Dominica State College, people from the Kalinago Territory, and any other vulnerable subpopulations, who have access to reliable internet and a computer, and can commit a minimum of 20 hours’ participation per week.

This third Cohort integrates the lessons learned from the previous 2 cohorts, to make sure that the inputs of previous participants, best practices, and areas for improvement are considered.

As per the project outcome for Work Online Dominica Cohort 3 program, selected participants will be engaged in training sessions that will enable them to gain knowledge, tools, resources, and skills to access online freelance employment opportunities.

Throughout this past month, all selected participants were provided with technical and motivational support, through coaching sessions and individual one-on-one coaching calls. To date, there have been a total of six modules implemented, keeping within the implementation timeframe. Participants were also provided with video modules that were used as information for the completion of their weekly assignments.

To ensure that all participants attended the calls, and completed assignments and modules, a Monitoring and Evaluation sheet was created and is regularly updated by the Digital Skills Specialists as a means of capturing participants' attendance and completion of the various modules.