“A minibus beloved by all of us “Project of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society has been monitored

On 18-20 July, 2012 the Head of “The Health and Care” department of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society Metanet Garakhanova had monitored “A minibus beloved by all of us” project which was started in May in front-line villages of Gazakh district. This project is being implemented within the framework of the Weapon Contamination program of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society in cooperation with “TAG” International Development humanitarian organization of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The main purpose of the project is to carry out health promotion activities, first aid training among community members in 6 front-line villages of Gazakh district where there is a risk of mines and unexploded remnants of war and where a ceasefire is violated very often. The project also includes out-of-school trainings for young people (such as leadership training, teaching the community building skills) and teaching a carpet weaving profession to young girls during 3 months period. The villages where the project is implemented are situated near to a front-line. Therefore, people living in these villages, the staff and volunteers of the AzRC visiting these villages have the risk to meet with the enemy. Caring for the inhabitants of these villages the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society visits these villages in order to provide medical, social and psychological support to habitants of these villages and to carry out its humanitarian activities for these people. The Head of “Health and Care” department of the AzRC Metanat Grakhanova visited Ferehli, Gushchu Ayrim and Mezem villages to monitor activities of “A minibus beloved by all of us” project. Every day a team of trainers visit the above-mentioned villages by using a minibus rented by the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society. The inhabitants of these villages expect impatiently when a team of trainers will come to their villages. A team of trainers hold talks about health problems with people gathered in the medical stations in the villages. There were talks with people about the importance of vaccination and medical checkup of the pregnant women. Special place was also given to the teaching of first aid skills. A weaver’s loom is placed in a schoolyard in order to teach young girls to the profession of a carpet weaving. A trainer Allahverdiyeva Minaya is teaching young girls to this profession. In addition other trainers teach leadership skills to children by using different games. The inhabitants of these villages (especially children) expect impatiently when a minibus of the AzRC will come to their villages. During the monitoring of the project we have been a witness of how enthusiastically the trainers work with both young girls (by teaching them a profession of a carpet weaving) and young boys (by teaching them leadership skills). During the meetings in the villages the inhabitants highly appreciated our project. It should be mentioned that a chairperson of Gazakh local branch of the Azerbaijan Red  Crescent Society Gurban Gurbanov actively participate in the implementation of the project in  front-line villages of Gazakh district. By this, 3 months project will end in September. However, what will be after that? People living in front-line areas always need care and psychological support. Therefore, it is a duty of all of us to provide such kind of support to them. We must hurry to do it.

Information, Dissemination and
International Relations department