Age

15

Country of Residence

Kenya

Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?

One morning, January this year 2026 during school parade, a student suddenly fainted. Everyone panicked. Some students even ran away in fear they didn't know what to do. The only person who knew what to do was a new teacher Mr Keith Nabuteya. He calmly took charge, gave first aid, and helped the student recover. That moment was my real “Aha!” moment. I realized how dangerous it is when students do not know basic first aid. In Kisumu it is very hot, so nosebleeds and fainting are common. I thought, “We need to learn these skills ourselves.” I went to the teacher and told him I wanted to learn first aid. He welcomed the idea. We started by inviting other Scouts, and soon more students joined. Together we formed the club that later became Young Rescuers. The teacher connected us with the Kenya Red Cross Kisumu Branch. Professional trainers came three days a week and trained us thoroughly. Later they organized a first-aid competition. Even though it was our first time, we won first position at the county level and became runners-up at the regional level.(first aid competition) That success showed me that what we were doing was real and important. It made me believe this project was truly worth pursuing.

How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.

I encourage other students to join Young Rescuers by speaking during school assembly and class meetings. I share the real story of the student who fainted during parade and explain why first aid matters in our hot climate. We also invite Kenya Red Cross officers from Kisumu Branch to come and do dissemination at the school parade. During these sessions, all students learn about first aid, ask questions, and talk directly to the professionals. This helps many students understand the importance of the club. I invite students to watch our training sessions, and many join after seeing members calmly help during sports or when someone gets a nosebleed. I also teach younger students in a friendly way and give them small responsibilities. So far, about 40 students have been trained and received certificates From Kenya Redcross. They now help recruit new members and train their peers. By combining our own talks with professional dissemination from Red Cross, more students become interested and join.

How many people are on your team?

40

Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?

Since we started Young Rescuers, we have trained many students in practical first aid. Our school team competed for the first time at First Aid Competition and won first position at the county level and second position (runners-up) at the regional level. This success showed everyone that students can become real helpers. Students now call me “Daktari” because they know I can help when someone faints, gets a nosebleed, or is injured during sports. Club members regularly assist during school games and emergencies instead of running away in fear. Younger girls have become more confident after our menstrual hygiene sessions. We have also planted trees and cleaned our school environment as part of community service. The biggest impact is the change in attitude: more students now stay calm and know how to help. The skills we learn are useful not only at school but also at home and in our community. We are still growing, but we have already shown that young people can make a real difference when they are properly trained.

Project Category

My project is an existing project that I started

Project Stage

Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)

Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence

Young Rescuers is a peer-led Red Cross club where students receive professional training in first aid so they can respond to nosebleeds, fainting, sports injuries and other emergencies at school, at home and in their community, while also teaching menstrual health, planting trees and keeping the environment clean.

Project title

Young Rescuers

The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?

Many students in my school and community do not know basic first aid. When emergencies happen — a student fainting, nosebleeds caused by the extreme heat in Kisumu, or injuries during sports — most people panic or run away instead of helping or just stand watch. This is dangerous. A small delay or wrong action can make the situation worse or cost a life. Because we live in a very hot area near the lake, nosebleeds and fainting are common, especially among children. Girls also face challenges with menstrual hygiene because many younger students do not know how to use sanitary pads properly or talk about it openly. As Deputy Headgirl and also a girl, I see these problems every day. Solving them matters deeply to me because every student deserves to feel safe at school and to know how to help others. When young people are trained, they can respond calmly at school, at home, and in the community. This builds a culture of care and readiness instead of fear.

Website URL(s) or social media handles.

What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.

First, I will train more students so that every class has at least three or more trained first-aiders from grade 3 to 9. We will continue working with Kenya Red Cross for advanced training and request first-aid kits for the school. Second, I want to expand our menstrual hygiene sessions to more younger girls (Look forba way to help the girls from vunerable families) and create a small first-aid corner in the school where members can quickly get supplies during emergencies. Third, we will start reaching neighbouring schools by sharing what we have learned and inviting them to join training sessions. My goal is to move from one school to other schools in the county. We will also increase community service through more tree planting, cleaning activities, and small charity actions. These steps will make Young Rescuers stronger, reach more young people, and turn more students into confident helpers at school, at home, and in the community.

Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?

Most schools wait for teachers or outside organizations to handle emergencies. Young Rescuers is different because it is fully student-led. I founded the club myself after seeing a student faint during parade and realizing that only one adult knew what to do. We combine professional training from Kenya Red Cross with peer-to-peer teaching. After the experts train us, we train other students. This creates a growing team of young helpers inside the school. Our solution is also tailored to our real local challenges. In the hot Lake Region, nosebleeds and fainting are very common. We focus on these everyday emergencies, as well as sports injuries, so the skills are immediately useful. We do not stop at first aid — we also teach menstrual hygiene to younger girls and carry out environmental service such as planting trees and cleaning. By turning ordinary students into confident first responders who can help at school, at home, and in the community, we are building a culture of readiness instead of fear. This student-powered model is what makes Young Rescuers new and different.

Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.

I founded Young Rescuers, a peer-led Red Cross club at Manyatta Arabs School, and I serve as the chairperson. We solve the problem by first receiving professional training from Kenya Red Cross officers from the Kisumu Branch. The trainers come regularly and teach us practical first-aid skills for the emergencies we face most — nosebleeds caused by the extreme heat, fainting, sports injuries, and other common accidents. After the professional training, we train our fellow students so that more young people can help. Club members now respond quickly when someone faints during parade or gets hurt during games. We also teach younger girls about menstrual hygiene, showing them how to use sanitary pads correctly and confidently. Beyond first aid, we do community service such as planting trees and cleaning our environment. These activities help us practise the Red Cross values of service and care. Our solution works because it turns ordinary students into confident young helpers who can act at school, at home, and in the community. We have already competed and won first place at the county level and second place at the regional level, which shows that the training is real and effective.

Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?

I am the founder and chairperson. About 40 students have been trained and certified by Kenya Red Cross. Members help recruit new students, train their peers, respond to emergencies and sports injuries, teach menstrual hygiene to younger girls, and take part in community service such as tree planting and cleaning. We share leadership by giving every member the chance to lead small activities and train others. We also have a teacher who is the patron and help us find the kits when we need them.