Children’s
day was celebrated in style by the youth and other volunteers
of the Colombo City Branch of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
this year. For three full days, children and their parents,
as well as other visitors, could learn more about First Aid,
HIV/AIDS and other areas of RC/RC work, as the local city branch
participated in an exhibition organized by the Ministry of Media
and Information at the Bandaranayake Memorial International
Convention Centre in Colombo.
The event was arranged from the 16th to 18th of October, 2004.
It received plenty of media coverage, as well as an estimated
1.2 million visitors. Due to involvement of the Department of
Education, even school children from far corners of the island
were able to attend.
Maiden Effort
The City Branch of SLRCS is only one year old, and used the
opportunity to gain visibility for its work and to disseminate
information about the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement. Youth
were active during the event. According to S. H. Nimal Kumar,
the National Secretary of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, it was
a job well done. “Not only was the First Aid services
offered and gained recognition but in addition were the HIV/AIDS
and dissemination programs conducted to the thousands and thousands
who filled up the stall,” he said in a press release following
the event. “This has set an example to the other branches
in organizing propergative ventures at future events.”
The children were educated on Humanitarian Values, RC/RC Movement,
HIV/AIDS and First Aid. Junior Red Crossers from the Royal College
in Colombo were active in the dissemination, answering questions
and handing out a small leaflet with drawings talking about
the echoes of the Solferino and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.
It was not only the children who rushed to receive information
from the Red Cross volunteers, their parents also stopped up
to grab the leaflet and learn about the Movement.
First Aid Demonstrations
In addition to informing about the history and other work of
the Red Cross/Red Crescent, theory was put into practice at
the First Aid stall. Around 30 youth volunteers, trained by
the National First Aid Teachers attached to the General Hospital
of Colombo, were among the volunteers giving a helping hand.
Aid was given to all types of accidents, as children came in
with headaches and other problems. Some children also came in
unconscious, because some playground equipment was not properly
insulated and the children were electrocuted. Because of this
unfortunate event, the people really felt why First Aid is needed,
and why the RC/RC Volunteers are so valuable.
The large amount of visitors, and their interest in learning
about the Red Cross, as well as the assistance of the ICRC and
the Governing Committee of the City Branch of SLRCS, made for
a very successful Dissemination and First Aid event.
Thanks
to Sanjaya Gunasiri
of the Colombo City Branch of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
for the contribution to this article.
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| The
First Aiders of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society Colombo
City Branch had plenty to do during the Children's Day
exibition. |
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| An
estimated 1.2 million people visited the exibition, arranged
by the Ministry of Media and Information, and learned
about many things, including the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society. |
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| At
the stand, children and their parents could learn about
RC/RC history, HIV/AIDS, Humanitarian Values and First
Aid. |
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