Women traders trained in first aid

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Extract from the article: In Togo, women traders play an essential role in the local economy. They are often the first to deal with emergency situations, such as injuries, fainting, falls or illness. Aware of this, the NGO Volontaires Internationaux pour la promotion de la Sa

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In Togo, women traders play an essential role in the local economy. They are often the first to deal with emergency situations, such as injuries, fainting, falls or illness. Aware of this, the NGO Volontaires Internationaux pour la promotion de la Santé en Afrique (VISA), in collaboration with Le Bracelet de Vie (LeBV), has trained women from the association Solidarité pour l'Épanouissement des Femmes Commerçantes du Togo (SEFECTO) in first aid techniques. The training, which took place at the Agbadahonou market, was attended by around thirty women. The aim is to provide them with the skills they need to react effectively in times of need, thereby helping to create a safer environment.

As professionals who are frequently confronted with a variety of dangers, shopkeepers need to be prepared to deal with emergency circumstances. Mastering first aid techniques can not only save lives, but also reduce anxiety and stress in the face of incidents. For Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey, Head of the NGO VISA, it is therefore crucial to train women shopkeepers in first aid to ensure the safety of customers and colleagues, and to boost their self-confidence. «Today, there are many emergency situations, including strokes, heart attacks or arrests, haemorrhages, suffocation and fires in the markets, and many women traders fall victim to them and die suddenly. This is due to a lack of quick first aid measures. First aid training is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of these women», said Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey.

The importance of training

First aid training offers a number of advantages. «Learning about potential dangers enables women in the market to better prevent frequent accidents, such as cuts, fires or falls.In the event of an accident, prompt intervention can save lives.Trained women can intervene effectively while waiting for help to arrive.They can feel that they can manage an emergency situation. This boosts women's self-esteem and independence, which could also optimise their leadership position within the community», said Dr Damien Ekoué-Kouvahey.

The training covered a number of essential aspects: Situation Assessment, in which participants must know how to observe and assess the condition of the injured person, and Emergency Call, in which they must learn how to use the emergency services and communicate the necessary information effectively.

Training women to save lives

The women were briefed on First Aid techniques: how to identify symptoms and provide immediate assistance in the event of discomfort, learn how to treat and manage wounds and burns, master cardiac massage, the Heimlich method in the event of a foreign body in the airways, and then the Lateral Safety Position (LSP), where an unconscious but breathing victim must be placed in the LSP to avoid suffocation.The course combined theory and practice.The participants learned through real-life scenarios, giving them hands-on experience.The trainer used a mannequin to simulate emergency situations, ensuring that each participant could practise the skills they had learned.

«This is a good initiative that will help us save the lives of these women shopkeepers and customers, who are often victims of falls, hypoglycaemia and cardiac arrest.It's essential to improve our safety and responsiveness in an emergency. Being trained, we can act effectively in an emergency, while waiting for help to arrive», stressed Ms Aflimba Johnson Comlan Cataria, Executive Director of SEFECTO. 

At the same time, the people in charge of the Bracelet de Vie (LeBV) spoke to the women traders about the importance of this medical tool. According to Dr Kouvahey, «this device is more than just a simple accessory; this bracelet of life contains all the information relating to everyone. In the event of an emergency, this bracelet provides all the information on the patient's life, contacts, work history and illnesses. It's a digital solution that improves patient health and safety on a daily basis».

To enhance market safety, it is crucial to devote resources to first aid training for women traders. Providing them with the resources they need to manage emergency situations not only promotes their personal well-being, but also that of their community.

William O.