Friday, January 11, 2013

Disaster Response...

Yesterday we heard from John Woodberry, MAF's Disaster Response Manager.  He shared on MAF's disaster responses to Haiti, Aceh, Bangladesh, and others.   His team is on 24/7 alert to global disasters and determines how and when to effectively carry out response.  They have various "go-kits" that are pre-packed to grab and quickly respond to various disasters.  There are different types of go-kits: personal, office, PR, aviation, etc.  He unpacked one to show our class and it included things such as a SAT phone, GATR ball, packaged goods, katadyn filter, travel printer, travel solar panels, electrolytes, cell-phone, tent, mattress, and "rocket-chocolate" (highly caffeinated chocolates).  I appreciated his distinction between disaster relief and rehabilitation (the point at which relief ends and the national community rebuilds itself).  Check out the following videos on Haiti and Kenya:

MAF Disaster Response in Haiti

MAF Response in Kenya

John Woodberry, MAF's Disaster Response Manager





1 comment:

  1. Wow, there are a number of things on that list that I am completely unfamiliar with; no idea what they are at all. If you could get your hands on some of that rocket chocolate though, I'd take some of that... :) Love hearing about the nuts and bolts of how MAF ministers. Sounds like a highly organized plan, which leads to highly effective aid!

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