ISLAMABAD (January 20): Under an MoU signed here today, 50,000 children and adolescents will be mobilized from amongst earthquake survivors in camps as tent-to-tent communicators known as Rahbers to raise awareness about hygiene, safe drinking water and sanitation, health and child protection issues, according to a press release issued by the Emergency Hygiene and WES Communication Unit, Ministry of Environment. “It is wonderful that so many partners are involved in the Rahber program, which is certain to have a positive impact on the lives of the earthquake survivors,” said Mr. Mohammad Ali Durrani, Federal Minister and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister. “Through collaboration, coordination and cooperation comes success.”

The program is a partnership between Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, National Volunteer Movement, Pakistan Boy Scouts Association, National Rural Support Program and Pakistan Girl Guides Association. With support from UNICEF, NVM will provide overall support and facilitation, while the Boy Scouts will be responsible for overall coordination and implementation in allocated areas. Other partners will implement the program in allocated areas.

“Since shortly after the earthquake, the Boy Scouts have been raising awareness through interpersonal communication through a partnership with UNICEF and reaching even the most remote and hardest to access areas,” said Mrs. Zubaida Jalal, Minister for Social Welfare and National Commissioner of Pakistan Boy Scouts Association. “Based on that success, the Scouts have been assigned responsibility for overall coordination of this program.”

The MoU signing ceremony was held at the H-11 Tent Village, where a team of Rahbers was also mobilized from amongst the young earthquake survivors living in the camp.

“The role played by Rahber children and adolescents will be a milestone in bringing out a positive behaviour change,” said UNICEF Representative Mr. Omar Abdi. “I pray that the Rahbers will be able to carry on the good work beyond the tent life.”

Under the six month program, teams of three Rahbers , aged 12 years and older, will be assigned 10-15 family tents in both organized and spontaneous camps that they are to visit daily to carry out interpersonal communication for hygiene, sanitation, safe water, better health and children's protection issues. They will be provided an orientation and visibility and information materials.

“Two important things have happened since the earthquake. One is that partnerships have been developed and strengthened between government, UN agencies, civil society and other actors,” said Dr. Khalif Bile Mohamud, Country Representative, WHO. “The other is that because health promotion and disease prevention was not left out of anything e did, there has been no major outbreak of disease, as had been expected.”

The program offers children and adolescents from the local affected communities the opportunity to contribute to the awareness raising activities on hygiene, sanitation and other related issues and in that way to develop a sense of normalcy in their lives.

Besides creating awareness about safe drinking water, hand washing, solid waste disposal and use of sanitary latrines, the Rahbers will also organize cleanliness drives in the camps. They will also raise awareness about immunization, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, care during diarrhoea, etc and identify and assist in identifying and assisting in the registration of unaccompanied children and in providing safe play areas for children.