Thursday July 8, 2021
U.S. Army civil affairs Soldiers in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) completed their final lessons of first aid and English at Solidarte Feminine July 1, 2021, in Djibouti City, Djibouti.
The team has made Women, Peace and Security (WPS) a part of their mission to empower the women at Solidarte Feminine, a local organization in Djibouti that provides resources to women in need in Djibouti as well as those directly or indirectly affected by HIV.
“We’re coming in teaching the volunteers and the staff here first aid training and we’ve held English discussion groups to help them with their English,” said U.S. Army Cpt. Jessica Campion, a public health nurse with the Civil Affairs East Africa functional specialty team. “We want to create meaningful partnerships and empower women and here is a great place to do it.”
The team has focused on first aid basics that can be administered while waiting for emergency services to arrive. The training included the ABCs of first aid, airway, breathing and circulation as well as what to do in the case of dehydration or fractures.
“A lot of people come here, both young and old, so this training is good to have in case something happens and we need to offer our help,” said Madina Mohamed, treasurer at Solidarte Feminine. “I’m thankful for this team who came to teach us here. This is really beneficial for the ladies who have come to study because they all work in the hospitals and this is very good for them and for us.”
While the CA-EA functional specialty team Soldiers have established a great relationship with the organization, their plans don’t stop there.
“We’re hoping to be able to reach out to the rest of the community, such as the women who come here to seek the resources because they’re in need,” Campion said. “We hope to make a larger program and continue to help them as well as identify any other needs they may have.
"What started all this is Women, Peace and Security (WPS), which is implemented through the higher level of DoD, as well as the Department of State and USAID."