‘We always have to rely on ourselves to respond to disasters; we don’t get help from outside’. The community have implemented and managed strategies to keep people safe, including raising and widening paths to plan for evacuation when needed, particularly prioritising accessibility for disabled and elderly people using the paths. But recognising that floods and water inundation will continue into the near future, the community have seen a significant need to prepare their local church as an evacuation centre, and at last are receiving assistance.

With support from AOA, they identified that there were no accessible toilets or showers in the church building, and the trees surrounding the facility presented a danger in cyclones. A further challenge is that most warning systems, for example the church bell and sounding conch shells, rely on a person’s hearing to alert them to danger, excluding those with hearing difficulties. As a result, they have recently implemented a colour-coded flag system.

The Surubta community demonstrate a true commitment to including people with a disability and elderly community members in safety efforts, and with AOA’s support through the ‘Disaster READY’ program, they can continue to increase their preparations for disaster in ways that strive to keep all community members safe.

Our Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CANDO) partners are working with communities in the Solomon Islands to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind. ‘Disaster READY‘ is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.