GASABO - Rwanda Red Cross Society, in partnership with the International Committee of Red cross (ICRC), recently ended a one-week training organised for rescuers in violence and emergency situations, during a ceremony at the Rwanda Red Cross community Headquarters in Gacuriro.

The training, whose aim was to build capacity and skills of rescuers to enhance professionalism when dealing with violence and emergency situations, was attended by 25 first aid volunteers from Red Cross stations of Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and trained by Eric Bernes, the ICRC Geneva head of First Aid Programmes world wide.

Most of the participants were people with great experience in First Aid and rescues in emergency situations which occur in our daily life, and others related to natural disasters like floods, land slides, drought, volcanic eruption and others.

According to Eric Bernes, the underlying value of a volunteer called to serve should be service with courage and dedication.

"A volunteer rescuer should be someone who does not only make the difference between life and death, but also between indifference and solidarity, one who is present wherever needed; the volunteer should depict that humanity is not just selfish and destructive, but also constructive and compassionate,” said Bernes.

He went ahead to call upon volunteers to cultivate within themselves behavioural values like humility and sacrifice in order for the community to trust and develop confidence in them, so that they can be called upon for help during emergencies.

"It was indeed a great privilege to take part in this training which offered opportunity to strengthen, by sharing experiences, the capacities of first aid volunteers from the three neighbouring countries,” said Bosco Nkusi, the head of Rwanda Red Cross Disaster Management. 

The participants were also reminded of the Red Cross/Red Crescent principles and realities, of group work, neutrality, impartiality and independence, as the underlying guidelines to smooth emergency operations and gain acceptability from the people.

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