Youths for Post-Crash Care
LED BY Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy from cameroon
Urban road safety in most Cameroon cities continues to deteriorate with young people paying the highest price. One of the greatest challenges the country faces is the increased number of untrained motorcycle taxi drivers who would often disregard traffic rules, potentially endangering the lives of road users. The non-usage of helmets the severity of the situation, increasing the road users’ risk of being injured. Despite issues with motorcycle taxis, public authorities still fail to provide sufficient and regulated policies on motorcycle taxi driver licensing and helmet usage.
The project, “Youths for Post-Crash Care”, aims to use an integrated approach that influences pre-crash, crash, and post-crash events to improve urban road safety for the most disadvantaged youths. The project aims to advocate for the improvement of enforcement of motorcycle taxi driver licensing and training systems by providing opportunities to mobilize, train, and engage young riders to improve their motorcycle safety. The project will also lead training sessions to improve the safety of girls as users of motorcycles through motorcycle commute guidelines.
Through the project, youth will be empowered to advocate for helmet usage through arts and cultural events portraying key safety messages. The project will sustain a youth-led “train the trainer” program on first aid with the “Youths for Post Crash care” team.
Photo from VOA News
ABOUT THE PROJECT LEAD
Stephen is a 26-year-old civil engineer and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rome. He is inspired by the need to curb the global challenge of road crashes in developing countries and, as a result, pursues research on speed management for low- and -middle-income countries. With his research group, Centro di Ricerca Per Il Transport E La Logistica (CTLup), he develops and provides innovative road safety solutions to different African regions.
Stephen is an advocate for international development and has experience at the World Bank as a transport consultant. He collaborated with different task teams in planning, preparing, and supervising transport projects to ensure that the outcomes are safe, smart, and climate-resilient. He is also an SDG 11 Champion for the Youth Coalition, contributing to mainstreaming road safety in sustainable development goals.
PROJECT UPDATES
Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy through his Local Actions project Youths for Post Crash CARE, began giving theoretical lessons on road safety and traffic rules of Cameroon.
The training session was carried out by an International Redcross specialist, a road safety specialist, and medical personnel. Each spoke about different elements of road safety - from first aid measures, statistics and laws, and post-crash care - the youth participants were given different perspectives that aimed to help them integrate approaches that influence pre-crash, crash, and post-crash events to improve urban road safety for the most disadvantaged youths.
The Youths for Post Crash Care team held a training session that taught youth participants about first aid measures, local and national road safety statistics and laws, and post-crash care. A total of 50 young people participated.
The recent certification program involved both practical and written tests. The participants were tasked to administer first aid and apply their post-crash care knowledge to different road crash scenarios.
As part of the project, lead Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy and his team from the National Advanced School of Public Works led different awareness activities on safe road behaviour that included helmet use, application of first aid, and risk factors. The Local Actions team taught among students in three secondary schools in the area.
Youth engagement activities were also implemented to promote road safety. Students were encouraged to share their ideas through designs, paintings, videos, drawings, and graphics portraying safety messages.
Local Actions leader lead motorcycle training session for bikers in Cameroon. The training session focused on key road safety reminders that will not only protect the riders but also the road users around them. The following was their message; “Your safety matters to us! As you hit the roads, it’s crucial to prioritise road safety and protect yourself and others.”
Some tips include; wearing helmets, using reflective gears and bright colors, follow traffic rules, staying alert, maintaining their bike or motorcycle, riding defensively, and riding sober.
Stephen Kome Fondzenyuy and his team went to different schools across Cameroon to educate students about post-crash care, focusing on what its advantages are, and how knowledge about it can help reduce mortality rates of victims of road traffic crashes. Included in their teaching sessions are creative interventions that invited and encouraged students to create different works of art that focused on road safety efforts led by young people.
PROJECT GALLERY
