Community vulnerabilities addressed with first aid training by the Red Cross

ZIZ News…March 15, 2011 – After a number of meetings that involved stakeholders throughout the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis several communities were identified as being extremely vulnerable to disasters and were selected to be considered for the Readiness to Respond” Project funded by USAID/OFDA and The American Red Cross.

This project seeks to empower communities by providing training and resources to help build resilience and encourage participation of community members.

One such community is New Town, and March 9th, 2011, marked the beginning of what is expected to be a collaborative effort by The St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross; facilitators of the project, and the National Emergency Management Agency’s District One committee .

Seventeen participants benefitted from training in Basic First Aid and were taught skills to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Participants were drawn not only from among residents but from institutions and businesses operating in the area, including the Ministry of Community Development, et al, as it was felt that individuals might need to administer help at work places in the event of a disaster. The facilitator for this workshop was Mrs. Natalie Fough, First Aid Coordinator of The St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross.

For more information, please contact Mrs. Kerrie Greene at the St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society, Tel. 466-9278.