NGO ‘Grannies and Kids’ Teams Up with Cymsa for unique first aid courses

Cypriot NGO ‘Grannies and Kids’ has partnered with the Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME) of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (Cymsa) to offer first aid course courses to children.

The initiative is led by Marios Kaisis, who has been leading first aid courses for children for 15 years.

“It is among the very few first aid courses offered to children as young as three,” Kaisis told the Cyprus Mail.

“It is a unique programme, and it does bring tangible benefits. Last year a four-year old girl saved her grandmother in Limassol when she started bleeding from the mouth. Thanks to the course, she knew what to do.”

Kaisis will lead a first aid course for children aged three to seven on Saturday at the Shakolas Educational Centre for Clinical Medicine in Nicosia from 2pm to 4pm.

“Children will have the opportunity to learn skills that have the potential to save lives, like it happened last year with the littler girl and her grandmother,” Kaisis said, adding that the presence of an adult during the course is required, so children can practice the skills they learnt on the spot.

Kaisis explained that the skills and techniques he teaches to children are the same taught to adults.

“We teach children to evaluate potentially dangerous situations and how to react to those,” he said. “We also teach them to evaluate breathing patterns, open airways, call for help and help whoever in need to a correct position.”

Kaisis started training children 15 years ago, but he has led first aid courses for almost 50 years.

“I am one of the oldest people teaching first aid courses around Europe, I have been doing it since I was 17 and I am now over 60,” he said, adding that the courses he holds are split in three different age categories, namely for children aged three to seven, eight to 12 and 13 to 16.

“I have never charged for any of my courses,” he said. “I simply take pleasure in knowing that what I do can and does help lives.”