It’s been a roller coaster ride for thousands of displaced families in Bali’s continuing volcanic uncertainty. Help those who are helping them.
Community-based disaster management and preparedness has always been a key focus for IDEP Foundation, an Indonesian NGO dedicated to ‘helping people help themselves’. Before, during and after disasters, IDEP works with local communities to help increase resilience to disasters in a sustainable way. In times of disaster, such as the recent Mount Agung emergency evacuations, IDEP works with local partners to get people the assistance they need as quickly as possible.
In the early stages of the evacuations, IDEP was on the road with partners like Mount Agung Relief, Agung Siaga and Kopernik conducting situational assessments and gathering information to accurately prepare a coordinated response. Soon after, they were working on collaborative efforts to build water and sanitation infrastructure in camps and deliver aid including Family Buckets containing nutritious food, sanitary products, mattresses, blankets, traditional medicine and children’s activity kits.
As with all of IDEP’s programs, the aim of their Disaster Management work is to help people become more self-sufficient in the case of an emergency, and they do this through demonstrations and practical hands-on education. They are currently providing information on disaster preparedness, sanitation and health to villages and schools in and around the Mount Agung danger zones, and have created a wealth of educational material including fact sheets and films about what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption.
IDEP has also been instrumental in training organisations and individuals looking to increase their skill sets to better help others. Their Training & Consulting Team is committed to ensuring that NGOS and communities have the knowledge, tools and skills they need to develop and implement programs that have concrete and lasting impacts. Trainings include disaster management, permaculture, sustainable development, organizational strengthening and media and advocacy.
