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A new programme with the aim of involving the region’s young people in comprehensive disaster risk management has been launched.
It’s the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s Young Professionals Programme (YPP).
In a release CDEMA revealed that Trinidadian Aleem Mahabir and Barbadian Adiel Charles, are the first interns to be selected to participate in the initiative which started in February, and continues for six months.
The YPP is initially funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Caribbean Climate Resilience Initiative (CCRI).
It will offer participants the opportunity to gain work experience through engagement in all technical programme areas of the CDEMA System.
Adiel is no stranger to the CDEMA system having volunteered her services in 2021 to the Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) to assist in responding to events. She holds a BSc. in Industrial Relations, and recently completed her MSc. in Geoinformatics.
Meanwhile, Aleem has been exposed to other regional and international institutions such as the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), the Inter-American Development Bank and the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), working as an Intern and on research projects. He holds a BSc. Geography and is a PhD candidate in Urban Geography.
Deputy Executive Director of CDEMA, Kester Craig, said “We embrace the youth as agents of change and we are committed to the vision of creating opportunities for their involvement in Comprehensive Disaster Management. We believe that the Young Professionals Programme is a key conduit in CDEMA to develop new leaders in the field through experiential learning.”
At the end of the programme, the interns will receive a CDEMA “Certificate of Completion”.
