Over 300 junior Red Cross (JRC) volunteers and counsellors from different States like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and from 23 districts of Odisha have participated in a five-day national level Junior Red Cross study-cum-training camp that began at the University High School here on Tuesday.
The camp, organised by the JRC unit of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), State branch, will help the volunteers to build their capacity to render humanitarian services to most vulnerable people in the society. They will be trained on various programmes and practices such as history of the Red Cross movement, fundamental principles, First Aid, health and hygiene, road safety and leadership. Yoga, various competitions will also be organised to harness the literary potentiality of the volunteers.
Governor Dr SC Jamir attended the inaugural event as the chief guest. School and Mass Education Minister and JRC State Working Committee Chairman Debi Prasad Mishra defined volunteerism as standing next to people in trouble and difficulties.
“The department has started the process to open more JRC units in 3,000 schools and create three lakhs JRC volunteers by the end of this year,” informed Mishra. Utkal University Vice-Chancellor Prof Ashok Das, University High School Head Master Dr laxmidhara Behera and IRCS-OSB Secretary Dr Chakradhar Panda also spoke on the occassion.