Dikhil region women finished a four-week best health practices program, with Bravo Company, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion (CA BN), at the Dikhil Education Center, Jan. 30, 2014.

The 443rd CA BN, which falls under the Combined Joint Task-Horn of Africa, split the class into two groups; one group was women in their late 20s to early 40s and the second group was women in their late teens to early 20s. The group discussions covered the same material, and were split into four classes.

Each week had a different focus, and the program included discussions about general health and dental care, basic first aid, CPR, treatment of animal bites and stings, as well as good nutrition and prenatal care.
 
“We brought out a specialist for each discussion,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class John Quinn, 443rd CA BN medic. “(They were able to) answer questions and share best practices.”

Quinn said the women in the class were receptive and it didn’t take long for them to open up and share their own stories.
 
One topic was general sanitation and how easy germs and bacteria can spread. The CA BN shared the idea of using bleach and water, a substance that is obtainable in the region, to clean and sanitize surfaces. The group of women shared their own way as well; they typically use ash and water, and rinse with water again, which is just as effective.

The CA BN also discussed some effective measures to take when treating different degrees of burns, what they look like and how to relieve pain. They also shared how to splint fractures and treat sprains.

To involve the women, the CA BN did a lot of hands-on training. They used mannequins to ensure the women understood and got a feel for performing the first aid techniques being taught.

Quinn said it was nice to see more than six months of planning and hard work by both the 443rd CA BN and Aicha Itho, Dikhil’s Women’s Association president, pay off; he said he thought the class was a huge success.

“I think they liked that we were very receptive to hearing about how they do things,” Quinn said.  “I think it was a huge mission success, because (some) of the women had come and told me personally, ‘I really liked what you did. What you showed me worked better than the way I was taught, because it’s much faster and easier to do.’”

Kadija Omar Arreh, one of the women who attended the program, said she was very pleased with the course and the material exchanged throughout.  She said she learned a lot and she’ll take what she learned and share it with her family and others in her village.

Building relationships throughout Djibouti is critical to accomplishing the CJTF-HOA mission.
“It’s extremely important for us to have a presence and build positive relationships with the people in these outlying provinces like Dikhil. They need to have the opportunity to know who we are. If we’re not proactive about this, then we’re really selling ourselves short,” Quinn said.