Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society (BREADS)

Disaster Response

As the Planning and Development Office (PDO) of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Karnataka and Kerala states, BREADS is the central coordinator of relief activities in response to any natural or man-made disasters and emergencies. Its purpose is to significantly reduce the number of people affected by the event and the direct economic losses incurred, with a focus on the poor and vulnerable people.
BREADS responds to the situations through its partners in the Don Bosco network in the two states. BREADS and its partners also try to keep updated through capacity building, about policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters and holistic disaster risk management at all levels.
BREADS tries to respond to every stage of an emergency, from the immediate relief measures to long-term rehabilitation.

Stage 1: Stock taking, information sharing, and distribution of tasks. BREADS is in full communication and support with all the local Don Bosco houses for any initiative they needed to make in response
to the ground reality.

Stage 2: Assessing impact of the disaster in terms of immediate humanitarian need. Deciding on immediate response, developing effective coordination and communication structures and collaborating with other stakeholders.

Stage 3: Operationalising and executing responses, developing a targeted response action plan. Coordinating financial support and allocating received funds internally. Signing funding and project agreements.

Stage 4: Designing long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. Capacity building for respondents on the ground is important as rehabilitation enters reconstruction phases.

BREADS’ Emergency Relief Outreach

  • Floods of 2018 & 2019: 46,560 helped with emergency services, 2,157 helped with mid to long-term support
  • COVID 19 pandemic in 2020 & 2021: 858,210 people impacted with various kinds of support
  • Civil unrest in 2023: Educational support for youth affected by violence in Manipur