Education in Emergencies, How to Link Them?

What is Education in Emergencies?
Within past years, i have been worked in building the capacity of either communities, youth, or even the local government. Mostly, i tried to build their awareness and improve their understanding for better respond in disasters, through training, workshop, campaign and other socialization activities. I tend to use the existing tools and just recycle them...that seems far much easier and somehow effective and efficient rather than create ea new tool, beside there are a lots of tools for emergency education out there that people do not recognize or familiar, by using them we can also help those organizations who have been worked very hard to develop tools to be worth to use. Anyway, let's go back to our main topic: Education in Emergency...it is surely a common and familiar term that we often heard, what would be the 1st thing appear in your mind when you hear this???children in school trained to be better respond in facing disaster?school is well equipped and prepared to facing the hazards? the teachers and all schools actors know what to do during the emergency or crisis situation? or the government guarantee protection and needs of education sector during the emergency?well, if that are the ones that you are thinking...congratulation you have pass the basic test on knowledge and common understanding in Education in Emergencies.

How to Do It?
Lets get rid of those theories and return to our main root as human, common sense. The way i see it Education in Emergency (EiE) is not just talking about Education, School, Students, Disaster Preparedness or Response. EiE is more a wide concept on how the communities, government, schools and other actors, even private sectors that are located around the school area, respected each other role and function and support each other in assuring their safety and security from potential or existing threats and how they cope in managing the threats themselves. I would definitely disagree to put weight in our children or students and trained them to be the front liners in responding to disasters. Sometimes, we want them to be independent, knowledgeable and have the ability to self rescue and or as the responders, we often forget that they have RIGHTS, especially for those students at schools that are considered as children based on law. as children they have the rights to be protected, to be fulfilled their needs and security, to be heard their voices and to make their own minds. Most organizations will be proud displaying the hazard map that these children made, showing the ability and skills that these children have in term of response through drill and simulation that they done after attended training. Frankly speaking i would say that it kind of an exploitation for them. Why we should force them in a soft way to have the ability as a respond team?if you are thinking "well, we just want them to be saved and save the others" or even "we want them to have more knowledge on disasters", well there is another way to reflect your objective. Try to think these following ways:

1. Remember Never to Use Disaster as Your Entry Point
Sometimes we never think about the needs of other and justs straight focus on our program or projects and how to meet the deadline, first mistake and the fatal one that you made when you want to do a Education in Emergency, is by saying "do you know that your school/area is prone to disaster?" or the worst ever "we will manage the disasters in your school/area"....in some areas/communities/schools, disaster is not the only or main threat that they are facing. Try to be more sensitive and have a closer look in the area where you are working. Sometimes health is the main issues; bad sanitation, lack/limited access to clean water, bad hygiene, etc or other development issue; access to education due to limted eduication facility/infratsructure, low family income, poverty, nutrition...lots of problems that are more priors instead of disaster, fix them first and build the community then you can start to promote the term "Education in Emergencies"
2. Think Them as Subjects not Objects
They are not puppets that you can direct and toy them. threat them as human, do not show your sympathy or spoil them. Try to hear their voices and sit with them equally discussing the better and greater program that you want to develop together.
3. Never Work Alone
You never success if you are alone. think about a extended family that you have, the more organizations or actors that you involve, the more achievements that you will get from the project. Do not think about big investment from major companies, try to think big from a small group that you gather. instead of having 1 private sectors invest in your program, why not gather home industries, commmunity groups and faith based organizations?
4. Collective Ownership
This is not talking about "X Project Implemented by Y Organization that funded by Z Donor", when you start from zero and develop partnerhsip, it measn you have to take the risk of sharing, not just resources but also expertise, knowledge and everything that you have, but of course in proper way
5. Never Promise, Never Say Goodbye
When you get too attach, it is difficult to release. So, try to re-position yourself. Don ot act as hero, but also do not be a coward. give them fact instead of promise that you cant keep. It is better to have a bitter sweet memory rathar than swallow a guilty pleasure by taking the credits and left them behind
6. Maintain Relationship
Even a SMS or a phone call can make a different. Try to have a time to visit them and look their progress, also if you have a wide network, why dont promote them to other actors that have interest for the project?

Anyway, the tips above may not give you details on what you should do for Education in Emergencies, but as the key points, think about these keywords: School, Communities, Government, Policies, Infrastructure, Network, Resources, Development, Partnership, and nevertheless Transparency.