HFI creates a Comprehensive Device to Assess the Damages of the Earthquake

Following up on previous meetings, HFI held an advanced workshop to complete a post-disaster assessment tool in the education sector. This meeting examined the problems of the system for damage assessment at identification stage, after disaster affected the education sector.
Disaster assessment tools that already exist in Indonesia are very diverse and have different standards from each other. As a result, it’s hard to find accurate data to measure the overall damage in times of disaster.
Having reviewed the various existing standards, such as Standard INEE (Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies), Need Assessment Tools ENA, Join Rapid Initial Assessment, and other devices owned by the National Department of Education, there are many advantages and disadvantages.
UNESCO and HFI combined and conducted a review of these materials, which conducted a review of the following areas:
1, reliability of information: format differences, and the capabilities of different agencies in conducting assessments.
2. Completeness of information obtained, including: lack of information about school facilities, focusing on the structure of school buildings; lack of information about post-disaster capacity of schools to carry out the minimum standards for education in emergencies (for teachers, books, etc.).
3. Assessment of the operational needs of the school during the crisis and reconstruction: management of the school, the needs of teaching staff (permanent and temporary).
4, Many temporary teachers cannot continue to teach, because supplementary teaching support materials are unavailable.
Other post-disaster measures in the education sector include:
• Stage of emergency assistance.
• Early recovery phase.
• Aftermath: reconstruction and rehabilitation.

NEW STEPS FOR HFI

This week, HF Indonesia board held a meeting with members of The Humanitarian Forum head office in London, to determine strategic steps to be taken forward by HFI. Agreement was reached that several follow-up meetings will discuss the strengthening of the network by extending membership of HFI, and create several strategic programs in terms of advocacy and issues of the MDGs.

James Shaw Hamilton, Director of The Humanitarian Forum,explained the possibilities to further expand the network not only in Indonesia but also in the world. He urged for more opportunities for all members of the Humanitarian Forum in Yemen, Sudan, Kuwait and elsewhere, to come together and enable the expansion of The Humanitarian Forum.

Sahira Maarouf, The Humanitarian Forum Program Manager, described some developments of Humanitarian Forum in Yemen and in the Sudan and their accomplishments in building the network. Like James, she also highlighted some possibilities for expanding the network of Humanitarian Forum in the world.

Some sticking issues in the meeting was the issue of the Millenium Development Goalss and public advocacy. The board agreed to step up action in response to some important issues. According to them, some of the problems for the MDGs in developing countries are still not resolved. Our goal is to take strategic steps to urge governments to create policies that support the resolution of problems such as poverty, unemployment reduction, and improving quality of life and life expectancy.

We're thinking ahead for the rest of the year. We'll follow up with a meeting in April, and we're also working on action plans between then and now. In October we'll evaluate all the work of HFI since it was established.

Humanitarian Forum Indonesia Take a Role in Prevent Avian Influenza Virus

On 4 January 2010, Humaniatarian Forum Indonesia worked with Muhammadiyah Avian Influenza Virus Reduction Centre to hold a training workshop on prevention of spreading avian influenza virus (H5NI) pandemic on Manis Jaya, small village located at 132 km north west, Banten Province.
Manis Jaya, is situated in the middle of industrial territory, where many manufacturers having premises. The residential parts of Manis Jaya are crowded with both small houses and apartments packed tightly in slums.

As is the case for much of the Indonesian population Manis Jaya civilians live in an industrial zone, working in factories as laborers for very low pay. Consequently, factories have a vital role to generates economic turnover of civilian in that place.

On the one hand, factories can be angels for saving civilian life, but on the other hand, thay are triggers of environment contamination that can produce many sources of diseases - infectious and otherwise. Wastes disposal through river, canal and gutter, smoke plumes from factory chimneys are evidence of the impact of factories on human life on that place.

As is common in Indonesian urban life, Manis Jaya civilians generally haven’t had high standards of sanitation. Also, they don't have adequate drainage for household waste. Based on local government data released at October 2009, 16 people were infected by dengue fever, and 3 others by avian influenza between January-September 2009.

Because of this, Manis Jaya considered as a vulnerable territory for spreading of infectious diseases such as dengue fever, Avian Influenza H5N1, swine Influenza (H1N1), and many others. Therefore, all possible prevention actions to avoid the massive transmission of pandemic diseases by building the resilience of civilians at grass root level are extremely necessary.

More than 50 people took part in this one day workshop, which addressed these issues.

Post Disaster Needs Assessment in Education Sector : Research for Integrated Procedure

17 December 2009, the Head of Education Unit of UNESCO, Anwar Alsaid, Programe Officer for JTIC UNESCO, Ardito M Kodijat and Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI) Director Hening Parlan, attended a meeting with General Director of National Education Service for Elementary School Bambang Indriyanto,to discuss the application of "Post Disaster Needs Assessment in Education sector”. The meeting took place at the National Education Office, Jakarta.

After the Indonesian Government announced that they were opening up to International Aid agencies to help earthquake victims on Padang West Sumatera, more than 160 organizations including NGOs, INGOs, the UN, and delegations from friend countries came in droves to give a helping hand in a variety of different ways. So a systematic coordination effort for running the aid effort was a necessary condition to ensure maximum efficiency.

If we look back to how West Sumatera earthquake victims were evacuated, the distribution of food and building of temporary shelter, also when reconstruction and rehabilitation run, every organization applied different procedures, and there was little information-sharing and coordination.

So UNESCO and HFI got together to create an assessment tool to determine the needs for schools and education when disaster hits Indonesia.

“a lot of organizations weren't well coordinated in Padang. We need an integrated procedure for all organizations,” said HFI Director Hening Parlan.

She added, "there are three focuses to determine what post-disaster education needs are: data from the school principal regarding how many teachers and students are victims; assessment of the damage to school buildings, and data from the Emergency Schools Unit."

UNESCO and HFI will publish their results in March 2010, and will create a procedure for determining needs and actions when disaster hits.