With the plan to revamp and relaunch the Red Cross Club in the primary and secondary schools in Seychelles, the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) alongside the Ministry of Education (MOE) held an Induction Session with teachers who will be managing the clubs.
The full day session which was facilitated by RCSS Volunteer and Disseminator Ms. Mirenda Hoareau took place on the 5th of September at the SITE Auditorium and was attended by 72 teachers and school staff from 36 schools on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.
Mrs. Gina Domingue, Director General of Human Resources and Administration at the Ministry of Education, in her opening remarks explained that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry and the RCSS to equip younger generations with the knowledge needed to respond to emergencies or disasters and protect themselves and others.
“The MoU was intended to launch the Red Cross Clubs in schools, but we faced some challenges. Now, we are on the right track. Each school has different emergency teams, and First Aid members will be running the clubs”.
Ms. Mirenda, who will assist with the relaunch and formerly oversaw her own Red Cross Club at the Anse Royale Secondary School states that “The RCSS empowers members, volunteers and the community to respond to disasters and community needs while reducing vulnerabilities. We strictly uphold our fundamental principles and values, and our vision is to remain the leading voluntary aid society, provider and partner of disaster and community humanitarian services in Seychelles”.
With that, the goal to revamp and form the Red Cross Clubs would help in the dissemination of information particularly that of what the RCSS is all about, sensitization of programmes, training in First Aid, and disaster risk reduction along with others.
Ms. Regina Prosper, the Director of Health, Safety and Risk Management at the Ministry of Education, emphasized that these clubs would also help prepare students in emergencies, whether at school or at home. She states that “the more children who undergo such programmes, the better prepared we will be to face challenging situations”.
The induction session was therefore conducted to equip the teachers and school staff with the necessary information to be able to effectively disseminate important and relevant information to the students who will be in the clubs.
By forming the Red Cross Clubs in Seychelles’ primary and secondary schools and providing the teachers with the necessary knowledge, the induction sought to strengthen the RCSS capabilities by regularly recruiting new volunteers and fostering children to become future volunteers. This will also help to continue uphold and enhance the RCSS’s position as one of the most reputable and trustworthy humanitarian organizations in the Seychelles as well as help with the recruitment of more volunteers with specialization in different fields.
Topics covered during the session included an overview of the Red Cross movement, the emblem, the fundamental principles and code of conduct, the programs and services at the RCSS, as well as group work in the form of role play by the participants based on the 7 fundamental principles of the movement.
Following the induction session, additional training, supported by the RCSS and the Ministry of Education, will be organized which would include trainings in disaster risk reduction and First aid amongst others.
All 39 primary and secondary schools will have the clubs established, with the timeline set for early next year.
