Grenada Red Cross helps communities

The Grenada Red Cross Society completed Vulnerability and Capacity assessments (VCA) for six communities in Grenada , to identify micro-projects and disaster preparedness activities.

From February 8 to 19, 2005 the communities of Gouyave, Grenville, D'Arbeau, Marquis and Toco Bay assisted the teams in understanding their histories, risks and capacities.

From this VCA information, activities to help develop the six communities were developed. Community-based disaster preparedness training and skills that the Grenada Red Cross could facilitate were detailed with the approval of the communities.

The VCA provided the opportunity for training nine volunteers from the National Society to learn the process through direct implementation. These volunteers had previously worked in the communities distributing emergency relief, food vouchers and galvanise sheeting. This relationship was invaluable in winning the trust of the residents.

This was truly a Movement success. With the help of the Grenada Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and the French Red Cross operations on island, the facilitators (from the Federation Sub-regional Office- Nicole Williams; Belize RC - Mrs.A. Magana , St. Kitts and Nevis RC- Patricia Fahie and Guatemala RC- Marissa Soberanis) worked with the volunteers to complete the process and report.

The Grenada National Society along with other movement operations on island are now collaborating to implement these activities within the next four months, in time to prepare for the coming hurricane season. For more information contact Samantha Dickson Grenada Red Cross.