To Enhance Disaster Preparedness, Human Initiative and JOB Tomori Conduct Disaster-Resilient Village Facilitator Training in Luwuk

Luwuk, Central Sulawesi – Human Initiative, in collaboration with the Joint Operating Body Pertamina-Medco E&P Tomori Sulawesi (JOB Tomori), conducted a training session for Disaster-Resilient Village (Destana) facilitators at Hotel Santika in Luwuk, South Sulawesi. The ‘Training of Facilitator’ aimed to enhance the skills and capabilities of Destana facilitators in disaster response and risk reduction, particularly in the Banggai Regency.

The Central Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Control Center (Pusdalops BPBD) recorded a total of 10 multi-disaster incidents in the Banggai Regency in 2021 and 29 incidents in 2022. This data ranks the Banggai Regency as the third-highest in disaster occurrences within Central Sulawesi, following Poso and Tolitoli. As of October 2023, there have been 20 reported disasters in the Banggai Regency.

In an effort to address and mitigate disaster risks, Human Initiative, alongside the Joint Operating Body Pertamina-Medco E&P Tomori Sulawesi (JOB Tomori), organized the Training of Facilitator for Destana facilitators in the Banggai Regency. The training took place at Hotel Santika, Luwuk, from October 29 to November 1, 2023, involving seven participants. The participants included two facilitators from the villages of Sinorang and Paisu, two from the Comdev facilitators of JOB Tomori, and three others from local Human Initiative facilitators.

Mujiono, the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) in the Banggai Regency, expressed special appreciation for the joint initiative of Human Initiative and JOB Tomori in conducting the Training of Facilitator. He viewed this activity as a commitment to disaster response and risk reduction involving the community, government, corporate entities, and other stakeholders.

“Out of 291 villages in the Banggai Regency, only seven have attained the Disaster-Resilient Village (Destana) status. Therefore, through the Destana program by JOB Tomori and Human Initiative, the hope is to establish new Destanas, namely Destana in the villages of Paisu Buloli and to strengthen Destana in the village of Sinorang,” he stated.

Mujiono further hoped that these activities would serve as innovations by JOB Tomori in national-level disaster response and risk reduction programs. Consequently, the BPBD of the Banggai Regency plans to propose the inclusion of Batui Selatan sub-district as a representative of the Banggai Regency in the District Disaster-Resilient Program, which will be launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Training of Facilitator for Destana covered various topics, including the basics of disaster management, Minimum Service Standards, Facilitation Techniques, Participatory Disaster Risk Assessment, Evacuation Plan Development, Inclusive Early Warning System Development, Village Contingency Plan Development, Village Disaster Response Plan (RPB) Development, F-PRB and Village Volunteer Development, as well as Village Resilience Assessment (PKD). These topics were addressed through brainstorming sessions, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), and simulations involving all participants. The methods aimed to enhance the skills and capabilities of Destana program facilitators in the development of Destanas in Sinorang, Paisubololi, and other villages.

Certified trainers from the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) facilitated the training, adhering to the standards outlined in the 2023 Destana module. Visnu C. Bhawono, the Relation Security and Comdev Manager at JOB Tomori, expressed hope that all participants would share their knowledge and experiences with the wider community in the future.