More than 75 street children and 150 social workers and teachers in four regions in Georgia are equipped to deliver life-saving assistance thanks to recent trainings on emergency care conducted by World Vision.
The trainings are provided by the ‘Learning the Principles of First Emergency Care’ project, which aims to increase the capacity of street and at-risk children aged 10-16 in Tbilisi, Telavi, Kutaisi and Batumi, as well as among social workers of various youth centers and institutions, to avoid risks and dangers to their health and wellbeing.
“The trainings have been received really well, as they give real-life skills that beneficiaries can impart to the children in their care and even in their homes. Emergency care is a simple concept and very practical so we have also tried to train World Vision staff as much as possible. You never know when emergency care can save a person's life,” said Brenda Bogaert, Learning the principles of First Emergency Care project manager.
Orphanages and centres for street children have applauded the trainings, which have already saved the lives of both children and adults. One child was saved from choking on food when several other children who had participated in the emergency trainings delivered necessary assistance.
After participating in a training in Kutaisi, a parent at a World Vision small group home (an alternative to residential institutions for children) saved his wife’s life by giving her first aid, according to the medical team that later arrived on the scene.
The trainings are carried out using a series of 12 booklets with colorful illustrations and stories, and brochures that explain all necessary steps to take in the case of an emergency.
There are some 1,500 children living on the streets of Georgia and thousands of Georgian youth are at risk of becoming street kids, according to World Vision and other NGO reports. There are no official statistics on the number of street children in Georgia.
This article contributed by World Vision.
