12 May 2013

Trainers in camp coordination and camp management have been encouraged to put what they have learnt to good use for the betterment of Botswana.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the training for trainers on Friday, International Organisation for Migration (IOM)  programme coordinator, Ms Mukondi Mpeiwa encouraged the trainers to impart skills to their communities so that they would be prepared and resilient to disasters.

“Don’t let what you have learnt die a natural and silent death, don’t let it all go to waste,” she said. The training, which concluded on Friday, was sponsored by the IOM in partnership with the National Disaster Management Office.

A total of 54 trainers from various disciplines such as social work, law enforcement and media were trained on camp care and camp management. The second leg of the training was held in Kasane with 28 trainees from areas such as Dukwi, Nata, Gweta, Manxotae and Tutume.

Principal programmes officer in the National Disaster Management office, Mr Maeletso Pego said IOM came at the right time to close the gap in camp management and disaster management.

 “We are thankful for the partnership between IOM and our office. We believe that there are other key areas we can still partner on such as climate change,” Mr Pego said.

He pointed out that his office had been mandated with looking for partners in the area of disaster risk reduction. Mr Pego also commended the trainers for setting a target of 1 290 people who would be trained during the current financial year.

“You are the ones who are working directly with these communities on the ground, you don’t have to go searching for them so I know this will be achievable,” he noted.

He reminded them that they were strategically chosen for this training because the areas they operated in were prone to natural disasters. Mr Pego also encouraged them to take this training further by getting Botswana Training Authority accreditation as certified trainers.

IOM is an inter-governmental agency established after the Second World War dealing with a range of migration issues. It has 149 member states including Botswana who became a member in 2010.  ENDS