No one wants to live and work in unsafe areas, let alone raise children in an unexpected environment. We all want to sleep at the end of the day knowing that we will be safe throughout the night and the following day without fear of been attacked and worse still, killed. Terror, war and insecurity have long term effects on the well-being of citizens either, socially, emotionally, psychologically, mentally and even physically. This can be mitigated through the creation of security welfares such as the Nyumba Kumi Security Initiative and other local and residential Security Welfare Associations.
The Nyumba Kumi Initiative, for example, is a Social Security Welfare program that that’s seeks to enhance and improve overall security from the grassroots level in communities, neighborhoods, schools, work places and the country as a whole. This in turn promotes peace in a country. This initiative goes a long in protecting the social welfare of citizens at a personal and national level. This ensures a safe environment for people to live, work and play. The ripple effects of this security initiative are observed in a country’s economic status, thus ensuring growth and progress for the country.
Since the initiation of Social Security Welfare Associations, here are 5 ways in which the initiative has assisted in enhancing peace in the country.
Response to Emergencies
How would you respond when you are in the middle of a shot out, terror attack, carjacking, fire, motor vehicle accidents or any other insecurity related emergency situation. Most of us, if not all, have little to no knowledge of how to respond in such life threatening circumstances. Panic will be the first response. Being human, the fight or flee approach might come second.
Social Security Welfare Associations ensure you are well aware of how to respond to emergency situations, whether at work, school, home and even in public. Through these, you can learn and share among the members involved in the initiative on what to do during an emergency. This minimizes panic among citizens and also ensures concerned authority are informed of this emergencies as soon as they occur.
Sharing Responsibility
Security starts with you as an individual. We tend to delegate responsibilities to concerned authorities forgetting we are also accountable for our own security.
Enhancing security starts with knowing those who live around you, who you work with and who you interact with on a daily basis. You could easily spot unlawful persons if you are aware of your immediate environment.
Security Welfare Associations ensure everyone is responsible for their own security from a personal level, not just the policy makers who we tend to point a finger at. This promotes peace enhancing security starting with small social groups.
Improving Environmental Developmental Design
Development is inevitable. How do we ensure that development does not impinge on our security? Before anything is put up in your area, there needs to be a consensus among concerned parties. Social Security Welfare initiatives seek to ensure that you are aware of any changing developments that occurs in your environment. This prevents the possibility of hosting criminals who have found an easier place to hide or conduct illegal activities.
Resolving Internal Conflicts
We are all human and conflicts always arise among ourselves. Conflicts always bring about fear among people especially when the conflicts involve land or other personal issues or acquisitions.
To ensure our internal conflicts don’t end up becoming a security concern, more so at the local level, Social Security Welfare Associations ensure that all conflicts that happen are resolved and maintained before they blow up and become major securities concerns.
Enhancing Dialogue
To improve security, there needs to be consistent dialogue among the people you work/school with, those who live within your area and authority concerned with security. Security Associations improve dialogue between concerned parties ensuring peace in the country from residential areas, to communities and even at our work and school spaces.
Security is the cornerstone of any living areas and it is for the good of everyone that it is enhanced. How is your area of residence, school, or business fairing in terms of security? Tell Mji Wetu on this link and stand a chance to win Ksh.15,000/-