Cartoons to prepare pupils for disasters

ABU DHABI // Popular cartoon characters will teach pupils how to react appropriately in the event of a natural disaster.

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday launched its Jahez (Arabic for ready) programme for schools.

A video featuring characters from the children’s channel Majid TV will teach children what to do if there is an earthquake, flood or storm.

It would be screened at schools during visits by the authority’s staff, said Nasser Al Yammahi, the authority’s director of media and mass communication.

“The educational drive has to continue for two years to cover all schools,” he said. “In the first phase, all government schools will be covered, then expatriate institutions will be approached the next year.”

The message will also be spread to teachers, parents and bus drivers.

Mr Al Yammahi said it was important for all parties to work together when natural disasters occur.

He said there was a need to correct misinformation on social media about how to react appropriately.

“The idea is to generate a culture of awareness and the readiness for pupils and society in troubled situations,” Mr Al Yammahi said.

Dr Jamal Al Hosani, the authority’s director general, said everyone should know how to react well to natural and man-made disasters.

The campaign is being delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education across the seven emirates.

The authority will also hold online competitions for pupils to produce short films, stories, songs, paintings and photography.

Majid TV is broadcast by Abu Dhabi Media, the publisher of The National.

Afra Al Rashidi, a representative from Majid TV, said the Jahez series would be broadcast in about a year.

She said that in the year since the channel was launched, it has drawn more than 2 million Facebook fans, 100,000 followers each on Twitter and Instagram, and more than 100 million minutes of video footage watched on YouTube.