The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.
South Africa: It is with sadness that we bid farewell to a man who dedicated his life to advancing the cause of equality for all of humanity. In 2006, the South African Red Cross Society honoured Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela as their first humanitarian award recipient for his outstanding achievement on humanitarian issues. Nelson Mandela, a former political prisoner and later the first black President of South Africa, inspired millions in his quest for a more equal world, where people and institutions co-exist through global cooperation and a multilateral approach to dealing with problems, conflicts and challenges. Visit the IFRC to read a special tribute dedicated to Nelson Mandela.
Indonesia: More than 70 per cent of Timor-Leste’s population lives in rural communities, often in extremely isolated conditions with little access to formal health care. People need to walk a day or more to get to a health clinic, meaning that those too ill to make the trip must stay and take their chances.
The Red Cross Red Crescent community-based health and first aid (CBHFA) approach is a simple and effective concept where members of a community are trained on basic health care and first aid so they, in turn, can support their neighbours. It has been especially effective in the rural community of Timor-Leste. Through community-based health and first aid, communities become empowered with information and knowledge on health issues. The CBHFA approach is effective not only because it improves the health and well-being of people in the community; it also works because it builds a strong sense of community.
CBHFA activities, which include water and sanitation, disaster risk reduction and a livelihood component, have been implemented in 12 of Timor-Leste’s 13 districts, through 35 CBHFA trained facilitators. An estimated 50,000 people have been reached so far through this programme.
GLOSSARY:
IFRC= International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies