Animation

 

Animation: getting the message across

A major issue is that families did not know that preventive strengthening is possible. They need to be aware that prevention is essentially easy and affordable, and they need to know that it is much cheaper than rebuilding after a disaster.
To address this in each commune DW organises a wide variety of animation and awareness raising events and distributes products with a prevention message. Each activity – a play, a concert - deals in its own way with the risk of storms, the damage they cause and the action that one can take to reduce vulnerability and these events are accompanied by information handouts and house-to-house visits with practical information. The animation activities have been undertaken in diversified forms which encourage the participation of different groups of people (children, youth and families) in each commune.
Many of the animation activities are designed to be “memorable” - events that one will recall maybe months or even years later. They include the organisation of concerts with local musicians, singers and poets, many of whom perform their own material written for the project. There are theatrical pays (some written and performed by project staff). The project provides songs and text used on commune loudspeaker systems, and it makes use of radio and TV. In 2006 during a special “damage prevention week” a decorated truck toured each commune with a full-size ‘safe house’ on the back, attracting many stares and questions .

The animation activities are an ongoing process with different events happening regularly in each commune.

 

Theatre & Song

7 shows with song and theatre performed so far in the communes

Legend, song, poem and theatre play about cyclones
DWF uses a variety of local traditional and popular media to communicate the message that prevention is important in reducing the vulnerability of homes. Some of these ideas, like the legend of The Mountain King and the Water King, are traditional. Others, such as the songs and poems that are performed in commune events organised by the project, have been written by local people, often teachers, who also perform. Some examples are given here

 

 

Working with Schools

see Children