The Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) has signed an Agreement with the French Red Cross for a total amount of SCR 693,381 (approximately €43,564) under Phase 3 of the Three Oceans Project, financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
The project aims to strengthen the resilience of communities to disaster risks, health crises, climate change impacts, and gender inequalities across the Caribbean, Indian, and Pacific Ocean regions. With climate-related extreme weather events becoming more frequent, the project emphasizes disaster preparedness, risk reduction, and community awareness as cost-effective approaches compared to post-disaster response
and recovery.
As an auxiliary to government authorities, RCSS plays a key role in disaster preparedness and risk reduction. In line with its five-year strategy and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Strategy 2030, RCSS is focusing on strengthening its institutional and operational capacity following significant challenges, including damage to its headquarters and warehouse in December 2023.
Key activities under the project include:
Organizing an Organizational Capacity Assessment and Certification (OCAC) workshop to strengthen governance, leadership, planning, and volunteer management.
Training of trainers in first aid and psychosocial support.
Recruitment and training of community-based and regional volunteer teams, including radio communication training.
Rehabilitation, cleaning, and improved management of the RCSS warehouse.
Technical and operational support will be provided by the Plateforme d’Intervention Régionale Océan Indien
(PIROI).
Through this partnership, RCSS will enhance its preparedness, improve volunteer capacity, and reinforce its role in supporting national disaster risk reduction and response efforts for the benefit of vulnerable communities across Seychelles. The project will also complement the Early Action Protocol under the SEYCCAT initiative.
