Wednesday 10 August 2016

Local Disaster Response teams of 15 sectors refreshed on disaster management and first aid


participants undergo emergency response training to support  local communities affected by disasters

In efforts to reduce disaster risks and ensure timely response when calamity hits, Rwanda Red Cross has set up disaster response teams from the National, district to sector levels which are charged with day today management of disaster risks and response whenever need arises.
These teams are supported by regular training to ensure they are well positioned to deliver as expected and in this regard, Local Disaster Response Teams (LDRTs) of 15 sectors in the districts of Gakenke Ngororero, Nyabihu, Karongi and Rutsiro received refresher training in disaster management and first aid skills.
In total, 300 volunteers who constitute the 15 disaster response teams participated in this training.
Contents of the training included largely disaster management skills with a greater focus on disaster risk reduction (DRR) which is implemented through Rwanda Red Cross’ Model Village approach that aims at empowering community resilience to economic and disaster shocks.
Skills imparted in DRR include mapping of local disaster risks, mobilizing community efforts to mitigate disaster risks, educating communities on how to reduce disaster risks and these constitute the responsibilities of the disaster response teams.
Rwanda Red Cross as a component of the Red Cross Movement has in the recent past strengthened its efforts in disaster risk reduction especially through efforts to build community resilience through socioeconomic empowerment of the most vulnerable people and other environmental protection efforts.
According to various studies by UN and IFRC on investing in disaster risk reduction, it is now believed that one dollar investment in disaster risk reduction saves between two to ten dollars that would otherwise be spent in response.

Besides skills in disaster management, participants received refresher on first aid skills which are essential in disaster response activities particularly in road accidents, household incidents like fire outbreaks and burns, and other injuries that may result from various factors.





Monday 8 August 2016

Rwanda Red Cross’ application hoped to demystify first aid to ordinary Rwandans

The first aid application has information on basic life-saving gestures including safety tips in various environments. Get it from your google play and learn first aid

Many fatalities resulting from accidents and other emergency situations result from lack of immediate medical treatment and as a result, first aid does not just facilitate recovery, it helps save lives.
According to a 2009 advocacy report of the Health and Care Department of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called “First aid for a safe future”, a human heart ceases beating within four minutes after breathing stops, permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes after breathing stops, over 50 pct of deaths from road accidents occur in the first few minutes of a crash.”
Considering these realities, the presence of a skilled first aider at a scene of accident can potentially save lives that may be lost as result of airway obstructions.
Towards this end of increasing the number of Rwandans trained in first aid, the Rwanda Red Cross has teams of trained volunteers who conduct community assimilations to impart some of the skills to the general population.

However, given the growing access to internet and the increasing penetration on mobile telephony in Rwanda, the Rwanda Red Cross has developed an android first aid application through people can learn basic first aid skills.

The app in google play appears on the name "ubutabazi na Croix Rouge" download it today and learn life-saving gestures you can use in the time of need
The application is now available in Google store and can be downloaded on every handset with an android operating system.

Features
• Easy to use English French and Kinyarwanda languages toggle to switch translation directly   inside the app.
• Simple step-by-step instructions guide you through everyday first aid scenarios. 
• Fully integrated with 9-1-2 so you can call EMS from the app at any time.
• Videos and animations make learning first aid fun and easy.
• Safety tips for everything help you prepare for emergencies.
• Preloaded content means you have instant access to all safety information at anytime, even without reception or an Internet connection.
• Interactive quizzes allow you to earn badges that you can share with your friends and show off your life saving knowledge
.