Bavarian Red Cross: First Aid for Tanzania – A successful project!

Bavarian Red Cross: First Aid for Tanzania – A successful project!

In May 2025 the time had come: a group of representatives of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) from the Erlangen-Höchstadt district association set off for Tanzania. The aim of the trip was to support the Engata School through first aid training. This initiative quickly became popular and was impressively expanded to include a total of five educational institutions in the country Wiesentbote reported.

The trip started in Nuremberg on May 18, 2025, and the delegation landed at Kilimanjaro Airport at 1:35 a.m. The accommodation and on-site transfers were organized by Elatia e.V., an association that has been committed to educational projects in Tanzania for years, especially for the Maasai population. In this context, the program for first aid courses was designed to be particularly intensive. The participants were enthusiastic; many had the opportunity to learn practical measures for the first time.

Extensive first aid courses

inside and studentstook place inside. Particular attention was paid to the Engata School, where all teachers were trained and an emergency backpack was put together. Further training courses also took place in Remiti and Lerumo in order to impart important knowledge there too.

The courses included both theoretical knowledge and practical exercises. The aim was to train teachers to be multipliers who can pass on knowledge and thus make a valuable contribution to improving understanding of first aid. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that local teachers also took over parts of the training, such as instructions on the stable side position. Not only was knowledge passed on, but local skills were also created.

Long-term perspectives and challenges

As the experienced volunteers at Elatia discovered, there is a great need for such training in Tanzania. Although first aid is anchored in the curriculum, there is often a lack of materials, equipment and practical experience. “There's something there,” everyone agrees, saying that the project isn't just short-term. In the long term, we are working on concepts to integrate first aid into everyday school life and to build local capacities. Martin, the BRK project manager, sees the success rate as positive and is thinking about future projects in this region.

Although Tanzania has a comparatively stable political situation, the challenges in the healthcare system are diverse. High maternal mortality rates and a shortage of medical professionals are just some of the problems facing the country. In addition, the refugee situation from Burundi is an additional stressful factor for the local health system Malteser International emphasized.

The BRK employees returned on May 27th, after a program that was a complete success for both the participants and the organizers. The high demand for first aid training gives hope that such projects will continue to take place in this region and have a lasting impact on society.