Keeping aid workers safe

Zakaria, who is working as a trainer in Sudan with RedR, shares his thoughts on how safety and security training is helping to keep aid workers safe.

“The RedR courses give aid workers the confidence to keep themselves safe and their organisation’s assets secure, which allows them to run their programmes more effectively.

“I like sharing my experience in the field with aid workers. Teaching others about risks and threats and how to avoid them increases their chances of survival. Aid workers are out there helping those in need. I enjoy training them because I know that the knowledge I share helps to protect people.

“As a Sudanese man I also like combining my knowledge of safety and security with my knowledge of local culture. I think that sharing this perspective helps the people that I train be safer in their work.

“I would encourage more national NGO staff and women to attend the courses. Many aid workers, such as health promoters working in the camps are female and are vulnerable to threats. Guards, drivers and even household staff such as cleaners could also benefit from knowing about safety and security. If NGOs were to send key national staff such as these on security training courses then that would help keep the compounds operating and the relief programmes running efficiently.”

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