A total of 83 community members participated in Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment training organised by The Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society in the areas of La Pastora, La Canoa, and Bourg Mulatresse. This training was held in each of the communities for a total of four days starting in May and ending in July 2010.
What is Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA)?
Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment is an important tool used by the Red Cross to support decisions made in relation to disaster preparedness and the development of mitigation programmes.Information gathered from a VCA describes the roles people or institutions are willing to play in preparation for the next crisis.The process of conducting Vulnerability and Capacity assessment training allows participants to gain more than just skills that allow them to better understand the areas in which they work and live.Also through field work this process gives the group the opportunity to identify the strengths and weaknesses of households and communities.
VCA: Turning vulnerability into capacity
Representatives from the communities of La Pastora, La Canoa, and Bourg Mulatresse, several organisations and local government officials took part in this training exercise. Over a four-day period participants worked in sub-groups and in plenary.They not only learned how to use various VCA tools but also tapped into their own experiences to develop a better picture of the vulnerabilities and capacities in the established areas. This also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to network with each other and they gained a clearer understanding of areas of interest, activity and possible collaboration.Programme Coordinator Joseph Charles stressed the importance of increasing community resilience so that in the event of disasters communities will be prepared.A few of the critical tools used during this process were historical profiling; seasonal calendars; institutional and social analysis (eg what institutions are relevant to dealing with particular hazards in their communities and which of these are accessible to the people); assessment of organisational capacities, community mapping; direct observation; participant observation; key informant interviewing; and analysis and decision making for "turning vulnerabilities into capacities".
Lyndon Lara was a participant in the La Canoa area, and now holds first-hand information about the problems in the community. Lara said: "I now know about the vulnerabilities, capacities and hazards within the community of Santa Cruz; thanks to the Red Cross."From last month, VCA training started at the San Juan North Secondary and San Juan South Secondary schools in the north and also in the South at Debe High School and Barrackpore West Secondary school.The aim is to form disaster response teams comprising students, staff and members of the PTA.These disaster preparedness programmes are funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) and the Finnish Red Cross.