The last lap

Everyone is busy in WDMCC.

The most important thing in life that take out people from dark to light is education, so let’s encourage young generation about the importance of education. Life is so simple when you have studied and believe that God is there to show us how to succeed in life. This year is for WDMCC students to complete what they have been studying. We can’t wait for the day we will be receiving our Associate Degree and later, our AEM certificate. It’s going to be like our dreams come true.

         We are about to hit our destination and there’s so much work to be done since Mathematics and English has been introduced in the syllabus. Looking at where we were to where we are now it brings hope and inspiration.   It is the last year, the last semester and lots of work we must complete before our exams and final Emergency Management essay. The most interesting thing is that we are learning new things- how to collect our resumes and how to make our references. We are doing well with Ms. Sandra Provence; she is showing her interest to us and help with world literature.

        Everyone here is busy doing his/her work to be completed because our graduation ceremony is around the corner, and no one will be graduating without completing the work. We also remember that we have to have 100 hours for General Management Training and 100 hours for Emergency Management Training.            

I cannot wait for that day! GO WDMCC GO!!!

   

AEM Application

Today is the 10th of January, an important day in my life: My Birth Day. I write about this because I feel it is also important as I believe what I am going to say is one of the developments that are going to change my life and that one of my fellow students.

As we are nearing our completion of two years here at World Disaster Management Community College, WDMCC, with just under six months remaining, we have started with the preliminary application for Associate Emergency Manager (AEM) certification.
Ms Valerie Lucus-McEwen, CEM, our Professor in the United State and one of the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) commissioners in the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), is mentoring us through the process of AEM application. She is giving us a 'taste' of what we should expect and what is expected from us as applicants.

We have browsed the IAEM website for more information on this application. There is a lot of information that we found on this website: The requirements of both AEM and CEM candidates; Various forms that should be completed. We have also received e-mails from some members of the commission who have promised to guide us and give us any information that we may require regarding our AEM application.

All students are happy to start with application process. The interesting part about this application is that we will be the first in South Africa, and few in Africa, to obtain such certification from IAEM. Well since this certificate is recognized globally, it will be valuable credential to have. It will also help us prepare for applying for CEM in the future.

GOOD LUCK to all WDMCC students!

A terrible accident in Mpumalanga

This is the terrible accident in Mpumalanga on Moloto road near Kwaggafofontein on Monday 11 November where a bus collided with a truck and 11 people where critically injured, 3 died at a hospital while 26 died at the incident scene.

The bus being taken away after the accident.

Strong wind storms in Kanana

Kanana is a very small and lovely township which is less vulnerable to most of disasters that occur in other places. It is not easily affected by disasters but what happened in front of my eyes yesterday (13 November 2013) was so touching after the strong winds in the evening took two shacks down and about six of them roofs destroyed. It was  really a sleepless night for most people as most people don't have their Emergency Operation Plan which could have been more helpful to them.

Finishing our first module for the second year

It has been really good since we started our second year, we have just finished our first module which was about community and family preparedness.  We really enjoyed the module since well the module was more focused on our daily lives. 
We even did the preparedness surveys and it made it more interesting because we realized that most of our parents have the same mindset about emergency preparedness. They believe that there is nothing to prepare for. The only important phase for them is response because they think that nothing is hard to deal with, '' God is the creator of everything''. They don’t understand that all the faces of emergency/disaster management are important, more especially Preparedness as it is the foundation of emergency/disaster management. It is a disaster-readiness function and includes pre-disaster planning, training, higher education, exercises, drills, standards, technology, outreach and partnership.

Kenya's Westgate Mall attack

Officials trying to help people escape during  Kenyan Mall attack

Kenyan Mall burning

Some injured and dead people inside Kenya Mall.

The difference made by service blog

The service blog made me to feel or realize that I am making difference in my community. Every time when I get into my class my, learners become so happy. They are free to ask questions and the participation is so good. At first I thought it was going to be difficult for me to teach them because teaching is not in my blood, what I like is saving lives (Bio) but am doing well. I thought that they were not going to listen to me because am not their are teacher and am so young. You know children have this tendency of that they are not going to be taught by a younger teacher  like me, but my learners took me like their are own mathematics teacher, they don’t have that tendency. Every time when I ask questions they give me answers. They even raise up hands to tell me that they don’t understand. In them I see the doctors, teachers, etc of tomorrow.