TAJIKISTAN (April 2020) – The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) recently conducted refresher trainings for members of the Rasht Valley’s Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).[1] The workshops, which were designed to enhance emergency preparedness across six districts in Tajikistan, equipped CERT volunteers in first aid, light search and rescue and evacuation techniques, all of which enable them to be optimal first responders.
More than 200 members participated in the training sessions; individuals ranged in age from 18 and 55 and included doctors, nurses, engineers and young professionals.
CERT trainer Munira Qurbonmamadova, who conducted the two-day refresher, emphasized the subtleties needed to provide training across the geographic regions.
“Our approach is tailored to the cultural dynamics in each area,” she said. In Shashvolon, for example, she and her team held a separate training designed just for women, which was very well-received. AKAH is dedicated to supporting CERT volunteers across Tajikistan and the surrounding region in their shared mission to build more resilient global communities.