Hats off to the 18 Community Champions who have undertaken our Emergency Preparedness training sessions this year.
These leaders of the Karen and Afghan community are now equipped with the knowledge to help Bendigo’s migrant and former refugee communities to prepare for and respond to threats of fire, flood and heat waves.
Representatives from the City of Greater Bendigo, VICSES and CFA have delivered the training, with the support and translation assistance of our Cultural Diversity staff Shee Lee, Nido and Zahir.
BCHS was pleased to acknowledge the Champions this month and present them with certificates of achievement, an outline of what they have undertaken, and vouchers to reward their work.
Nido said migrant and refugee communities are often more vulnerable than others to the impacts of emergencies and disasters.
“They often have lack of access to translated information, have low literacy levels, challenges accessing and navigating local services, lower levels of social support and fear of authority and uniforms,” he said.
“They’re also unfamiliar with the Australian environment and the physical dangers of fires, floods and heat waves.
“This program aims to mitigate the risks and dangers that come from this.”
Holistic program extends to monastery in 2024/25
The Community Champions are a key component of Bendigo Community Health Services’ Emergency Preparedness Program, which also includes:
- Printed resources and videos in the Karen, Dinka and Dari languages and in simple English for all communities.
- Education sessions for emergency services in Understanding the Refugee Journey.
- Education sessions for people of refugee background.
A special new feature of this year’s program was the co-design by CFA and Karen leaders of a fire plan for the local Karen Buddhist monastery.
“The monastery was grateful to receive the support from the CFA to better understand how to prepare for severe weather and fires with and an on-site visit, which was particularly welcomed by these leaders,” Nido said.
This potentially life-saving program has been running since 2019, thanks to the support of City of Greater Bendigo funding and other donors, the program partners, and the Community Champions who are willing to go the extra mile to learn, then educate and assist others.
“We thank our 18 newest Champions for their efforts and care, and the ongoing work we know they will continue to do to help keep others safe,” Nido said.
