The Canadian Red Cross is working with the Honduran Red Cross to help build their capacity as part of the CERA (Capacity Building for Emergency Response in the Americas) program. This program, with support from the Government of Canada, means that the Honduran Red Cross will be better prepared to respond to disasters and emergencies.
Here are some ways the program is making a difference in Honduras.
Yahely Serrano recently participated in a Restoring Family Links training course. Yahely says the training left her feeling incredibly prepared, with the “capacity to respond to an emergency.” She is planning a workshop to share her knowledge.
Juan Carlos Montalván is a logistics volunteer who says his CERA training, “provided us with skills we can use in an emergency,” and that it also was “helpful in preparation for an emergency response.”
Pre-positioned supplies, like the ones in this warehouse, are an important part of being ready for a disaster – they mean that there are essential items ready to go the moment they are needed.
Gerardo Machado, preparedness advisor for the Honduran Red Cross, said “before CERA, formal regional warehouses did not exist...different regions have different needs. The regional warehouses allow for prepositioning materials based on these needs.”
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