The Domino Foundation, which operates from Amanzimtoti and North Durban, is ready to assist those affected by natural disasters.
Civic authorities’ resources and manpower are severely constrained when it comes to disaster relief or response and the foundation is following the example of other independent groups that are galvanising themselves to step into the breach when disasters strike.
Members of the recently formed ‘KZN Response’ team are equipping themselves through training, strategic partnerships, stockpiling basic survival items and bringing their areas of expertise to the table to meet needs which arise when calamities strike.
One of its partners is The Domino Foundation and its disaster relief unit is under the leadership of Cathy Whittle. “We were ‘initiated’ on an ad hoc basis when Cyclone Idai devastated the Beira region in Mozambique last year and on numerous occasions closer to home, with local communities hit by flooding or shack fires,” said Cathy. She realised that something more permanent needed to be established, so that her team was ready for contingencies.
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Her and Domino CEO, Shaun Tait, enrolled in a rigorous three-month disaster risk management course through the Institute of Business Management where they learned about risk assessment and business management. The catastrophic 2005 Florida category five hurricane Katrina, which caused 1 200 deaths, was a case study they made to understand the vital areas of risk, readiness, response and recovery.
The disaster relief unit is one of four partners in KZN Response. The others are ‘Zoe Life’, a Wentworth-based group of professionals who work with vulnerable families and communities affected by disease and poverty, CityHope Disaster Relief which responds with relief aid and disaster recovery to disaster situations, and the Red Cross in KZN, which supports people affected by natural disaster and conflict.
Zoe Life’s Lex Stewart said: “This is basically a Christian response team which is ready, after members of the Red Cross, as first responders, have assessed the situation and gathered information on the ground, to come in with what we have been called to do. The basic fabric for this informal group is based on trust and integrous relationship. It’s simply outstanding.”
The Red Cross’s representative in‘KZN Response, Patrick Ngcobo, spoke of the training his organisation does with local communities in the basics of health and safety, first aid and disaster principles, so that those communities are prepared for basic dealing with calamitous situations. However, as the Red Cross has no funding for shelter or food or resources for trauma counselling, this is where KZN Response comes in. Cathy Smith of CityHope said: “We have come alongside first responders after earlier disasters like the Hanover tornados last year and the victims of xenophobic unrest in Richards Bay”.
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She is compiling a handbook on best practice to equip a greater number of people to give hands-on support to those in need after a disaster. “Our disaster relief unit has committed to support 150 families this year whose lives some disaster has disrupted. We’ve stockpiled emergency relief hampers, but the foundation’s donor relations team is also approaching potential donors for rice, oil, beans and tarpaulins. As disasters often hit distant and hard-to-reach communities, we’re looking for vouchers, tyres and fuel for transport vehicles.” If businesses and individuals would like to assist, email feeding@domino.org.za or call 031-563-9605.
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