Bendigo Community Health Services is launching a ‘Prepare for Summer Emergencies Blitz’ for Bendigo’s Karen, Dari and Dinka speaking communities, ahead of a predicted hotter-than-normal season ahead.
For the past five years, BCHS has worked with local migrant and former refugee communities to build resilience and capacity to better understand and manage climate emergencies.
The award-winning Emergency Preparedness Program has engaged more than 5500 people at education sessions and events, and even more either via online videos and fact sheets.
Refugee and Cultural Diversity Senior Leader Kaye Graves said the program had co-designed a host of proven resources to prepare non-English speaking people for the harsh realities of a central Victorian summer.
“It’s essential for people who are new to our country to know about the dangers of summer heat, fire and floods, and how to stay safe when risks arise,” Kaye said.
“Our fact sheets and videos are produced in language, by and in consultation with our bilingual staff of lived experience, and local emergency services.
“We have developed the program to a point where we know it is culturally safe, and it works.”
The ‘Prepare for Summer Emergencies Blitz’ kicks off on November 10 with five days of social media posts featuring essential information in language.
Refugee Project Facilitators Nido Taveesupmai and Zahir Azimi said Bendigo’s Karen and Afghan communities were active on social media, so the BCHS Facebook account was the ideal place to reach them.
“We encourage our community to connect with our Facebook account from November 10 to watch and share the videos if the information can help them or someone they know,” they said.
“The week’s content will cover heat health and fire preparedness. And although the videos we are sharing are in either the Karen, Dari or Dinka language, each has easy English subtitles to benefit everyone.”
BCHS will also keep the information in language flowing throughout the summer as needed and as high risk days emerge.
The videos and other resources can also be found on the BCHS Resources and Publications page, under the topic ‘Emergency Preparedness’.
