GTZ holds disaster awareness trainings
The Gesellchaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) or German Technical Cooperation has sponsored a training session on disaster awareness among primary school communities in Yogyakarta and Central Java.
Part of the post-May 27 earthquake program, the training started earlier this month in 16 sub-districts in both provinces.
“We have planned to hold the trainings in two batches. The second will be held January 2007,” said Kartika Hermawati of GTZ Yogyakarta Office.
The primary school communities involved in the program consist of teachers, administration staff, members of school committees, students and their parents.
“The objective of the training is to improve awareness among school communities so that they will be more prepared for possible quakes,” Dieter Goepfert, GTZ’s principal advisor said recently.
Such awareness, according to Goepfert, would make the participating school communities able to reduce the danger posed by an earthquake by acting properly during the disaster.
“We expect to involve about 170 primary schools throughout Klaten and Yogyakarta in the program,” said Goepfert, adding the same trainings had proved effective in previous events. –JP