Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) councillor in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality and the party’s Western Cape youth leader, Bernadette Steenkamp – who is also qualified to teach SETA-accredited first aid courses – hosted a practical emergency training session in Idasvallei last Saturday.
The aim was to equip community members, especially young people, with essential skills that will enable them to remain calm and composed while confidently taking action in situations where every second counts.
Participants were trained in techniques such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and basic life support, controlling severe bleeding, recognising and managing asthma attacks, strokes and heart attacks as well as appropriate responses to choking, seizures, shock and other urgent medical situations.
Such practical training prepares them to respond quickly and effectively in emergencies frequently occurring in neighbourhoods such as Kayamandi, Cloetesville and Idasvallei.
First aid knowledge transforms ordinary residents into the first line of emergency response. It saves lives before professional help can arrive, eases the burden on emergency services and builds a stronger, more self-reliant community.
For young people, it builds confidence, instils marketable skills and paves the way to careers in healthcare, emergency services and community leadership. In this way, unemployment and hopelessness – which often contribute to crime – are directly addressed and the cycle of violence is broken.
It is no use to sit around and wait for crime levels to drop. The solution lies in taking proactive steps to equip young people with life-saving skills, self-defence awareness, trade qualifications, leadership training and strong neighbourhood support networks.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep driving this initiative through education, skills development and targeted community actions.
This is how safer and more prosperous communities are built for everyone’s benefit.
