Teaching children about floods in Assam, India!
COPE and the UN Major Group for Children and Youth teamed up to bring Disaster Risk Reduction Education through COPE’s content to Assam, India.
The UN Major Group for Children and Youth translated COPE’s Floods and COVID-19 books into Assamese and held book reading and preparedness sessions with teachers and students at local schools in Assam. The sessions discussed topics related to Floods, COVID-19, and Disaster Risk Reduction. By immersing themselves in COPE’s stories, children in Assam gained insights into emergency situations, witnessed how the characters acted and learned practical ways to respond and cope in the face of hazards. A total of 2,400 copies of our “Floods” and “COVID-19” books were delivered to various educational institutions in Assam.
During the reading sessions, the power of resilience was another aspect highlighted. Through the tales of resilient characters, young readers witnessed the strength, adaptability, and compassion displayed before, during, and after disasters. These narratives inspired children to share their own stories, fostering a sense of community and collective learning.
Dissemination:
The dissemination process involved distributing the books among school students and conducting interactive sessions to discuss and exchange ideas about the books in the presence and participation of teachers. The sessions aimed to engage students and adults in raising awareness of disasters. The dissemination process followed the following steps:
- Snowball sampling was used to identify schools located in the low-lying areas of the river Brahmaputra, which are affected by recurring floods. Another criterion was that the children came from families below the poverty line, making them most vulnerable to recurring floods. These areas experience high dropout rates, and children are often engaged as daily wage labourers to earn extra income for their families.
- The COPE books were used to generate awareness among the children and their families about how to protect themselves during floods. The target age group was 6-12 years, aiming to build a well-aware generation capable of taking action during local disasters. During the reading session, they shared their flood and COVID-19 experiences.
As the COPE project gained momentum, the teachers’ union of Assam requested a special session with Assam Government Model School. A one-day session involving interaction with teachers and children was conducted.
The COPE project had several social impacts:
Social change:
Discussing disasters can be scary for children, but reading about the events in the books helped them share their feelings and emotions related to floods and the COVID-19 global pandemic. The book reading sessions provided a less-frightening way to discuss these topics and allowed for great conversations about what to do in case of disasters.
Local DRR policy:
Assam faces recurring natural disasters such as floods, erosion, landslides, and earthquakes, as well as occasional manmade disasters like armed conflict, communal violence, and fires. Children are among the most vulnerable groups in these emergencies, often exposed to sudden losses, disruptions in routines, and frightening experiences. The COPE books provided the government with essential materials and good practices to protect children during emergencies. The teachers’ union of Assam proposed conducting the COPE book sessions each year in their respective schools to ensure children are well-prepared before the flood season in Assam.
Youth Awareness:
The COPE project encouraged local youth to engage in disaster risk reduction and fostered enthusiasm for working for the well-being of children. However, behavioural change is a slow process.
COPE is interested in keeping the dissemination of COPE’s content in India, but we need to collaborate with more people/NGOs on the ground. Please let us know if you know someone that can help us with this!
😃 Thank you so much, UN Major Group for Children and Youth, especially Jekulin Lipi, for your support in India!
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