By Yunus S Saliu
City Link Ostend-Banjul Project known as Future Proof Banjul in conjunction with The Gambia Red Cross over the weekend validated the African First Aid Materials (AFAM) developed to form a unified training for all Africa first aid trainers.
The Future Proof Banjul is a project fully supported by the European Union (EU), based on the longstanding link between the cities of Ostend and Banjul.
Among other aims of the project is to make a contribution towards establishing a resilient and livable city as a hub for commerce, prosperity and good governance with objective of strengthen the urban governance capacity of Banjul City Council by developing efficient public service delivery and a future proof programmed for the city.
The African First Aid Materials (AFAM) review and validation workshop was a weeklong and brought together some selected members of The Gambia Red Cross from different regions and councils in The Gambia.
Participants used the meeting to deliberate, review and finally validated the African First Aid Materials meant to unify training for all Africa first aid trainers.
Speaking on behalf of the Mayor of Banjul – Honorable Rohey Malick Lowe at the closing ceremony of the weeklong review and validation workshop was Mr Mam Lai Jasseh, City Link Project Coordinator.
Mr Jasseh thanked participants for able to made the Africa First Aid Material (AFAM) review and validation a success.
He therefore registered the Future Proof Banjul’s appreciation to Banjul City Council and City of Ostend, The Gambia Red Cross, and City Link Project Team for making the validation come to success.
He noted in his remarks that specialist throughout sub-Saharan Africa developed the guidelines on which AFAM is based with special attention given to African studies and also all featured illustrations are African models, while 11 African experts from the Red Cross Society and other organizations guided the AFAM project.
He however congratulated the City Link Ostend-Banjul project for their contribution to facilitate the review and validation of the materials.
In brief, he explained that AFAM was initiated after the intervention of several Red Cross Societies expressed the need to establish a tailored first-aid material base on an African context.
Mr Gano, Project Manager, City Link Ostend-Banjul dilated on the five key components of the City Link Ostend-Banjul project.
He explained that the five components include good governance – capacity building, as the EU funding will be supporting a lots of capacity building in the City of Banjul. Second component is to transform Crab Island former school into a sustainable hub in the next three years whereby there will be a skills center, a radio station, recording studio, theatre centre, and lots of businesses center. The third component he said supports and improves city waste management, and accessible to good health care.
Mr Momodou Jahateh, Branch Chairman Banjul Red Cross made remarks on partnership between Banjul Red Cross and Ostend Red Cross, Mr Omar K Badjie, acting First Aid Coordinator Gambia Red Cross Society discussed the significant of AFAM in the lives of Gambians while Mr Alasan Senghore, Secretary General Gambia Red Cross Society among others made remarks at the closing.
