A new national initiative was unveiled on Friday to empower thousands of young girls with life-saving skills, placing the Pakistan Girl Guides Association at the forefront of community-level disaster response. The programme, a collaboration between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), UNICEF Pakistan, and the Girl Guides, aims to bolster national resilience against natural calamities.
According to a statement by PID today, the official launch of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Badges and an accompanying manual took place at the NDMA Headquarters. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister”s Youth Program, attended the ceremony as the chief guest.
This project is designed to equip young women and community volunteers with practical knowledge to better understand local hazards, respond to early warnings, prepare their households and schools, and act safely during an emergency. The DRR Badge Manual reflects a commitment to mainstreaming risk reduction at the grassroots level by fostering a culture of preparedness.
The Pakistan Girl Guides Association has a long-established history of serving communities during crises such as floods, earthquakes, and heatwaves. Their volunteers have been instrumental in supporting relief distribution, assisting displaced families, providing first aid, and offering crucial psychosocial support, particularly to women and children.
The new DRR programme builds upon this legacy of discipline and compassion, reinforcing the Girl Guide motto ‘Be Prepared’ through a structured and practical training curriculum that formalises their role in responding to national emergencies.
To ensure the scheme”s national implementation, a “Training of Trainers” programme was conducted from 26 to 30 January. This session prepared 59 master trainers from across the country who will now cascade the DRR training through their local associations, guaranteeing a wide outreach.
The partner organisations reaffirmed their commitment to promoting inclusive disaster risk reduction initiatives, with a particular focus on youth and women, to help build a safer Pakistan through informed and empowered communities.