If you’re a youth and want to contribute to society, one of the ways to do so can be by joining the Bhutan Red Cross Society. By doing so, you will be able to keep the spirit of volunteerism alive and also attend to emergencies in the neighbourhood. For this, the Bhutan Red Cross Society launched its Youth Volunteer Base on Monday in Thimphu. With the launch, youth coordinators of ten colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan were given basic non-medical first aid training among others.
The Red Cross Youth Volunteer Base was launched at the organisation’s headquarters, coinciding with its sixth foundation day. 30 youth coordinators from the 10 colleges took part in the launch where they were also given first aid training. This is to equip youths with skills in responding to emergencies.
They were also trained in safety and security, financial literacy and communication.
“We will now share the knowledge and experience we got from the training with fellow youth volunteers in our college,” said Kuenzang Dorji, youth coordinator of the College of Language and Culture Studies.
“It is overwhelming to be a part of the launch. The official launch of the BRCS youth volunteer base focuses on the role of youths in nation-building. It emphasises youth as the future leader of humanitarian actions,” said Jamuna Kharka, youth coordinator of the Gedu College of Business Studies.
According to the Secretary General of the Bhutan Red Cross Society, the launch of the Youth Volunteer Base is also an opportunity to professionalise the youths so that they will be able to support the college during emergencies. The youth coordinators will now mobilize more youth as members of the organisation in their respective colleges who will also receive trainings in the future.
“Now, after they are inducted as the youth focal, they will be inducted into the coordination system. So, during emergencies, if and when required, they will become the focal. Firstly, in the branches when we need volunteers, they will become the representative,” said Dragyel Tenzin Dorjee, secretary general of the Bhutan Red Cross Society.
As of now, the Bhutan Red Cross Society has around 1,000 active youth volunteers. Integrating youth in the Bhutan Red Cross Society is one of the goals of the organisation’s Strategy 2030.
