U.S. Air Force photo by Lt. Col. Cecily Christian

School headmasters apply a pressure dressing on a simulated wound in Dikhil, Djibouti, Jan. 8, 2011, as Maj. Cynthia McPherson of 402nd Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Team, observes and advises.

School headmasters in Dikhil, about 120 kilometers west of Djibouti City, participated in a two-day basic first-aid training Jan. 8-9.

Presented by members of the U.S. Army 402nd Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Team, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), the demonstration-exhibition provided an opportunity for discussion and hands-on instruction to the headmasters, enabling them to take that information home for the benefit of their students and communities at large.

“We demonstrated first aid to educational directors from remote areas so they may better serve their community by sharing their knowledge with fellow educators,” said Maj. Cynthia McPherson. “We help them gain skills to decrease complications and stabilize injuries so advanced medical care can be pursued.”

Participants studied how to control bleeding and splint injured limbs, and to treat shock, nose bleeds, burns, and hot and cold weather injuries. To implement their training if necessary, each headmaster received a basic first-aid kit to bring back to their school.

“It was good to see new things, and now I know how to stop bleeding if needed,” said Saada Hassan Bouh, a Dikhil school headmaster. “I’m ready to go back and show these lessons to all of my teachers.”

Bouh’s school consists of 20 teachers educating about 650 students.

The Djiboutian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education invited the Civil Affairs team to provide the demonstration in support of their national health strategy and to enhance the area’s healthcare capacity.

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