Farjana's story: Sharing vital information

“Everybody was afraid, but there was nowhere to go. I prayed to Allah, but there was no shelter at the time, so we had to climb to the top of trees and houses to keep out of the water. People with stronger houses took other people in.

“At that time there was no early warning system, but now there are radio warnings, flags at the shelter, and sirens.”

	I am happy that I can help when a cyclone strikes, and save my family and members of the community. Farjana Jahan

In a cyclone, information is as important as having a place to shelter. Farjana goes to community meetings and visits other women in their homes to tell them how to prepare for disasters. She has seen the difference that spreading knowledge can make.

“Things were quite bad before. Men used to disseminate the disaster preparedness information, but they did not share it with the female members of the community because they thought women didn’t need the information.

“Now that women have received training, the information is shared in meetings, and men and women will share the information with the community.

Dress

“Through our volunteering we give special information to female groups to make them aware of what to do in a cyclone—such as wearing a different dress from the long sari that is easier to swim and run in; to put their hair up if it is long; and to bury their valuables. We also encourage people to keep some dry food to take to the shelter in an emergency.”

Volunteering has also given Farjana a sense of satisfaction. “I feel happy to be a volunteer. Before I started volunteering, I was not aware of the early warning signals. I am happy that I can help when a cyclone strikes, and save my family and members of the community.”

Read Nazma's story

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