In Fumbwe Sector, Nyagasambu Cell of Rwamagana District, the Rwanda Red Cross recently recognized a group of children who participated in a three-day training session on basic first aid skills.
During the training, the students learned how to assist someone with a fracture by preventing swelling, how to stop bleeding in injured individuals, and how to provide other forms of emergency care before an ambulance arrives.
These children are students at Janjagiro School Complex, located in Fumbwe Sector, Rwamagana District.
Alain Rubagumya, an advisor at the Rwanda Red Cross, explained that the training aimed to equip the children with essential knowledge that would enable them to provide basic first aid to their peers in case of emergencies.
He said, “Over the past two days, we have been training these children, covering various topics. We started by teaching them the principles of the Red Cross and the fundamental steps involved in administering first aid.”
Rubagumya added that, based on the training so far, he believes the children have gained substantial and practical knowledge.
Justine Cyurinyana, a fellow trainer, highlighted that the training also included how to assist someone experiencing heart or lung problems to keep them stable until professional help arrives.
She emphasized that the children were encouraged to share the knowledge they acquired with their families.
The children expressed their confidence in applying the skills they learned, such as assisting peers who sustain minor injuries or fractures.
One of the students, Samuel Niyibizi, shared that they were trained on how to help someone who experiences a nosebleed due to various causes.
He explained, “We were taught how to assist a friend who might get hit in the nose, for example, by a ball, and starts bleeding heavily.”
Another student mentioned a recent incident at their school where a child had a seizure, and they were unsure how to respond.
She added that the basic first aid lessons provided by the Red Cross have now equipped them with the knowledge to handle such situations effectively.
This student, Rebecca Umuriheri, said that with the training they received, they will be better prepared to manage similar incidents in the future.
Emmanuel Mazimpaka, the communications and public relations officer at the Rwanda Red Cross, explained that the training was organized to provide secondary school students with the necessary skills to assist their peers both at school and at home.
He noted that a total of 335 children were trained in Rwamagana.
Mazimpaka also mentioned that similar training sessions were held for children in Kayonza and Ngoma.
“We trained them because they are young people who frequently interact with their peers, whether at school or at home, and they may encounter situations where they need to provide basic first aid. These situations include fractures, bleeding, and other injuries,” Mazimpaka said.
He further explained that the first aid skills these children acquired can make a significant difference in helping an individual before the arrival of an ambulance.
Mazimpaka also emphasized that by providing such knowledge, people are better equipped to assist one another, which contributes to their overall health and well-being.
He added that the Rwanda Red Cross will continue to monitor these children and provide additional training periodically to further refine their skills.
The Rwanda Red Cross also highlighted that, as part of their efforts to improve healthcare access for the population, they have deployed ambulances to various refugee camps across Rwanda.
