The graduation ceremony for the 522 young trainees was held on Friday, August 21, 2026 at the National Firefighters Training Center in Kribi, at the end of their training in local first aid.
They are still young, but already capable of providing assistance to someone in danger. In Kribi, the fourth edition of the community first aid program has just concluded, with 522 children trained during the July-August 2026 school holidays. This initiative aims to strengthen communities’ capacity to respond to emergencies.
Children taught life-saving techniques
Implemented by the Kribi National Fire Brigade Training Center, the program targets young people aged 5 to 17. During their training, they learned first aid techniques, as well as fire prevention and home accident prevention rules. The graduation ceremony was held on Friday, August 21, 2026, in the courtyard of the Kribi National Fire Brigade Training Center. In front of their parents, dignitaries, and administrative authorities, the trainees presented the knowledge they had acquired during their training. The demonstrations included the Heimlich maneuver for assisting a choking person, the recovery position, how to treat bleeding, and techniques for extinguishing a burning domestic gas cylinder. The young people were also made aware of how to respond to a drowning victim or someone experiencing seizures.
More than 3,000 young people already trained
This fourth edition confirms the initiative’s strong community roots. Since its launch, more than 3,000 young firefighters have already benefited from this training. In the long term, the command aims to have at least one trained young person in every household in the seaside town. The objective is to enable these young people to alert emergency services, secure the scene, and provide first aid to a victim while awaiting the arrival of professionals. Presiding over the ceremony, Lieutenant-Colonel Albert Clément Ebonki Ehowe, commander of the Kribi National Training Center, commended the trainees’ progress. He also noted that this training, combined with recreational activities, helps to instill values of patriotism, civic responsibility, and discipline.
Relief as a symbol of unity
Beyond technical skills, the training also served as a framework for raising awareness about living together in harmony. Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, young Françoise Reine Kenne advocated for national unity. « Among firefighters, there are no Bamiléké, no Béti, no Sawa. There is only one family: the
family of emergency services, » she declared. Her words served as a reminder that first aid training can also help instill in young people values of solidarity, discipline, and a rejection of tribalism.
In Kribi, the local first aid initiative aims to make young people essential links in the chain of emergency response within families and the community.
Marie Chantale FAIDA
