Page 80 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21

68 Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21 69

Supporting virtual training of first responders

Youth and local community members are the potential first As witnessed during the Mission Anna Seva campaign,
responders in a crisis. Reliance Foundation is equipping these training sessions helped lay people become effective Response Disaster
volunteers from disaster-prone areas with the necessary volunteers who efficiently distributed food and dry rations to
knowledge and training to support affected communities. communities in need. College students trained by Reliance
Foundation also supported the hunger alleviation movement
This initiative is aimed at encouraging humanitarian leadership with their time and efforts.
by creating a ready and capable pool of human resources
to mitigate disaster with informed actions. In 2019, physical In addition to the youth, 26 Pashu Sakhis or para-vets took part
training sessions were provided to college students. However, in training this year. The trainings focused on livestock health
during FY 2020-21, the focus was on digital training, with 29 management in a post-flood situation when livestock are
webinars being held in 18 districts across 12 states. 716 youth particularly vulnerable.
volunteers affiliated to various colleges, Nehru Yuva Kendras,
Cyclone Shelter Management Committees and young and
active fisherfolk attended the virtual sessions. Lokesh, supporting his community by getting trained in disaster response in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

A beacon of hope for her community
Twenty-three-year-old Shradhanjali Shradhanjali supported hundreds of
Pattanaik from the disaster-prone families through cyclones like Amphan,
village of Mukundapur in Bhadrak and Fani besides tackling the COVID-19
district, Odisha became a role situation.
model for her community by actively
participating in disaster relief work as a She also supported Reliance
Reliance Foundation youth volunteer. Foundation’s Mission COVID Suraksha
by distributing masks and spreading
Always actively involved in community awareness among 600+ community
efforts, Shradhanjali, however, had members.
limited initial exposure to information Shradhanjali supports Reliance
on disaster management. She resolved Foundation’s work on disseminating
to get the matter addressed and early warning advisories, awareness
began attending the physical and building and evacuating vulnerable
virtual training programmes run by communities from high-risk
Reliance Foundation. Equipped with neighbourhoods, besides pitching in
the requisite knowledge on how to for rescue work and managing disaster
help disaster-affected communities,
relief shelters.

I was able to understand and deepen my
knowledge in disaster management basics,
the importance of volunteering, roles and
responsibilities of a volunteer, as well as build
skills to identify local hazards and vulnerabilities,
learn survival skills and basic life saving techniques
including fire safety and first aid. This programme
helped me contribute better during disasters.

Shradhanjali
Mukundapur Village, Bhadrak district, Odisha

Shradhanjali supporting RF's disaster relief work