January

2017: GVI Laos

Monthly Achievement Report: First Aid Workshops





















Objectives:
To provide educational opportunities to all students in the local community, regardless of socio-economic status,
ethnicity and gender
To increase knowledge and education in health and wellbeing; To provide health, life-skills and vocational classes to the
local community
To increase access to English education and to improve student's general English language ability

In January, GVI Laos taught its first First Aid Workshop to a group of 11 students over 5 weeks. First Aid is very
important for our young students to learn, because First Aid skills are not widely taught or known in Laos and many
of them come from the countryside where there are also no hospitals. By doing this workshop, they can use these
new skills to help themselves, their families and friends back home if something goes wrong.

Throughout the first week, GVI Laos introduced the concept of First Aid and asked the students questions such as
have your families or friends been sick or injured? How did you help?. They talked and shared their past
experiences about when someone was sick or injured. Then, GVI Laos volunteers, with the help of GVI Local Field
Staff Lyly, taught First Aid units including Illness Assessment, Injury Assessment, Burns, Cuts and Infection, Serious
Bleeding Management, Shock Management, Spinal Injury Management, Conscious and Unconscious Chocking and
CPR with rescue breaths and how to help if someone in their families has one of these problems. In each unit,
volunteers and students discussed local alternatives, herbal methods and culturally sensitive ways to do each skill in
Laos. The students worked very hard to learn and practice the First Aid skills through demonstrations, skills
development and many scenarios and role plays allowing them to practice their new skills and take on various roles
such as finding pulses, bandaging limbs, choking and CPR on a mannequin. They had a lot of fun and enjoyed the
workshop.

The students said this workshop was a very fantastic opportunity for them to learn new skills that they can use to
help themselves, their families and friends. It was also a good way for them to improve their English. At the end of
the workshop, students took an exam about what they had learnt during the 5 weeks. After the exam, students
received certificates and a tube of antiseptic cream (which they were extremely happy about!). GVI Laos hopes to
continue delivering First Aid workshops throughout the local community in to the future.
Written by Local Field Staff Ly Ly