The Red Cross in East Africa Essay example -- Red Cross Community Serv

The Red Cross in East Africa This report is about the Tanzania Red Cross written after community service fieldwork by eleven students from the East African Uongozi Institute, between 04th and 10th July , 2002. The Community service involved working with the Red Cross in the Dar es salaam International Trade Fair[DITF] which was on at the time and we were allocated to work at the Red Cross tents at the Fair ground to help administer first aid to any causalities. The East African Uongozi Institute is an international Cooperation and collaboration primarily involving four institution of higher learning. The University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi, the Makerere University and the University of California at Los Angeles. One of the main activities of the Institute is to conduct Uongozi School for leadership development. The ‘maiden voyage’ of the first Uongozi school took place in the summer of 1998. Every year, the school rotates between the three East African countries. University students from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, North America, and other African countries attend the programme each year. A community service component is included in the programme to enable students to translate theory into practice and to appreciate the fact that leadership is not just the exercise power but also to serve people. 1.1. Background to the study Red Cross is a worldwide movement working towards the alleviation of human suffering through the power of humanity .It was first established by Henri Dunnant, Swiss businessman. He was on a business trip, when he felt touched by the victims of a war between France and Italy. He saw how the soldiers needed treatment, the women and the children too were wounded and needed food and clothing. He took them to a nearby clinic for treatment at his own expense. When he returned to Switzerland, he sold the idea to his friends who also sold it to others. These initiatives resulted into a society aimed at helping people during war. Since the Swiss flag host a white cross they decided to symbolise the society by a red cross. Hence, the Red Cross Society is represented by a red cross inside a white background (see appendix 1). The headquarters of the movement is in Geneva, Switzerland. However, some countries especially those not of a Christian origin did not like to use the symbol of the cross. During the war between... ...APPENDIX 3 RED CROSS REGIONAL CENTERS IN TANZANIA KEY: q RED CROSS REGIONAL CENTER APPENDIX 4 REFUGEE STATISTIC IN KIGOMA AS EPR 31st DECEMBER 2001 (UNHCR) DISTRICT CAMP POPULATION ORIGINALITY KIBONDO MTENDELIKANEMBWANDUTAMKUGWAKARAGHO 47,74418,56947,811 1,72437,588 BURUNDIANSBURUNDIANSBURUNDIANSMIXEDBURUNDIANS KASULU NYARUGUSUMTABILA IMTABILA IIMUYOYOSI 52,18915,88339,89437,627 CONGOLESEBURUNDIANSBURUNDIANSBURUNDIANS KIGOMA RURAL LUGUFU ILUGUFU II 52,77618,131 CONGOLESECONGOLESE TOTAL 369,936 APPENDIX 5 ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE RED CROSS IN KASULU OPERATIONAL BASE 119 KILOMETERS FROM KIGOMA TOWN CAMP REFUGEE POPULATION ACTIVITIES MUYOVOZI 37,627 Camp management, curative, reproductive Health education, Nutrition services, water and sanitation MTABILA I 15,883 Curative, community health education, reproductive health and Nutrition services. MTABILA II 39,894 Curative, water production and distribution sanitation (provision of latrine slabs) community Health education, reproductive health, and nutrition services. TOTAL 93,404