DUSHANBE, January 16, 2009, Asia-Plus — On January 6, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) signed an agreement to implement the Tajikistan Earthquake Safety Initiative Project (TESI) Phase II in collaboration with the Tajikistan Ministries of Education and Health and the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense, according to the SDC Dushanbe Office.
This initiative, jointly-funded by SDC and FOCUS, seeks to build on the achievements of previous earthquake safety projects led by FOCUS in Tajikistan since 2002.
The TESI Project Phase II aims to reduce the overall vulnerability of people living in urban centers of Tajikistan to earthquakes. Through raising awareness and fostering disaster preparedness activities, the project will seek to encourage disaster safety in schools and hospitals by building the capacity of government institutions to deliver earthquake awareness and preparedness trainings.
Key audiences will include school staff and children, hospital and government personnel as well as members of the general public in Dushanbe, Gharm, Khorog, Khujand, Qurghon Teppa and Kulob. This phase of the project plans to provide basic disaster awareness trainings and publication materials to 50 schools, 25 health facilities, 25 government departments and 17 trainers in Tajikistan.
