SA - Australian Red Cross

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SA NEWS
Streetwise in SA
Streetwise SA in action. Photo: Australian
Red Cross
Streetwise SA helps students
with poor literacy skills pass a
first aid course that would
normally be out of their reach.
As part of the Intensive Tenancy
Support program, Streetwise
SA also offers first aid training
to people who are homeless in
the Adelaide parklands.
“Streetwise SA is a specific course
targeted at people who are homeless
or living on the streets,” program
coordinator Jody Sachs explains.
After finishing the one-day course,
students are accredited with nationally
recognised basic first aid qualifications.
“People who are homeless, or living on
the streets, really do need these life
saving skills,” says Jody.
Teachers have removed the writing
and reading section from the course,
with the focus on learning practical
skills by demonstration and repetition.
Red Cross ran training programs for
homeless people for a fortnight in a series
of venues around the Adelaide CBD.
“People living on the streets should be
able to have the same learning
opportunities for skill development as
any other Australian and this is one way
that Red Cross and the Adelaide City
Council, who funds this program, have
worked together to look at giving
people these valuable skills,” says Jody.
To find out more about our training
programs for homeless people or to
donate to the vital everyday work of
Red Cross, visit redcross.org.au or
call 1800 811 700.
Streetwise SA staff teach first aid skills to
students who would ordinarily not be able to
access the course. Photo: Australian Red Cross
Spreading the International
Humanitarian Law message in SA
As a South Australian first, the Victor
Harbor Branch undertook an
important initiative to help spread the
word of IHL and its relevance in
Australia and to regional South
Australia. The Branch hosted the IHL
public forum on 5 October, 2011,
attended by members of the Fleurieu
community. Guest speakers on the
night included state and national IHL
experts, namely Dr Grant Niemann
(Associate Dean Flinders University
School of Law, SA Advisory Board
Member and SA IHL Committee
Chair) and National IHL Chair, Mr
Geoff Skillen. The forum was an
opportunity to remind our community
that Australian Red Cross is
connected to, and a very active part
of the International Red Cross
movement. Grant is passionate about
promoting IHL to regional SA and we
encourage branches to organise more
forums in the future.
The SA IHL Youth Collective made up
the local contingent of a national Make
Nuclear Weapons the Target
(targetnuclearweapons.org.au) Flash
Mob event on 21 October 2011. The
Flash Mob took place on North Terrace
and volunteers distributed campaign
postcards throughout the city. Red
Cross volunteers encouraged
participation in the flash mob at the
start of university lectures, via
university communication networks
and through the use of social media.
SA IHL Youth Collective staged a flash mob to
raise awareness for our Make Nuclear Weapons
the Target campaign. Photo: Australian Red Cross
To get your branch more involved with
IHL or to become a member of the
SA IHL youth collective please
contact our Membership coordinator,
Pam Whetnall on 08 8100 4660.