Elizabeth Hensel (left) with the boy she saved from drowning and his mother. Elizabeth’s first-aid training meant she knew what to do after the boy was swept into the sea on the shores of Mualim Island.
Elizabeth Hensel (left) with the boy she saved from drowning and his mother. Elizabeth’s first-aid training meant she knew what to do after the boy was swept into the sea on the shores of Mualim Island.
Elizabeth Hensel (left) with the boy she saved from drowning and his mother. Elizabeth’s first-aid training meant she knew what to do after the boy was swept into the sea on the shores of Mualim Island.
Photo: Bradley Asa/Papua New Guinea Red Cross
As water levels rise and weather becomes more unpredictable, first-aid and health training are more critical than ever as people who live by the sea cope with rising tides and limited access to health care.
It was during a high tide in early January when a tragic incident unfolded on the shores of Mualim Island, located in the Duke of York Islands in the eastern part of Papua New Guinea.
A toddler, just a year and a half old, was playing on the beach with other children when the waves grew stronger and swept the child into the sea. A woman walking along the shore saw the child floating in the water and let out a desperate scream for help.
The child's mother rushed into the water and pulled the baby out in a desperate attempt to save the boy’s life. In a moment of panic, she handed the baby to a nearby man, who held the child upside down in an attempt to expel the water out of the child’s body—a common but dangerous misconception on the island.
Fortunately, not far away, Elizabeth Hensel was at home when she heard the screams and shouting. She ran as fast as she could to the scene.
“I told the man to lay the baby down, and quickly checked the pulse, and started CPR,” Elizabeth recalls. “After two rounds of chest compression, the baby regained consciousness and spat out all the water.”
“I advised the mother to take the child to the heath centre for observation. Today, the baby is alive and well.”
Training to the test
A mother of six, Elizabeth had recently participated in a Health and Community-Based First Aid (CBHFA) training conducted by the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society (PNG Red Cross).
The trainings were done as part of a project that focuses on locally led adaptation to climate change as well as ensuring everyone in the community is included and fully protected. The project is funded by the Japanese Red Cross Society through the IFRC’s PNG mission office.
This training didn’t just equip Elizabeth with skills—it empowered her to save lives and promote health and safety in her Island village. Elizabeth is one of 37 people who recently participated in the training.
Japanese Red Cross staff member Honoka Ota leads a Health and Community-Based First Aid (CBHFA) training conducted by the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society.
Japanese Red Cross staff member Honoka Ota leads a Health and Community-Based First Aid (CBHFA) training conducted by the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society.
Japanese Red Cross staff member Honoka Ota leads a Health and Community-Based First Aid (CBHFA) training conducted by the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society.
Photo: Bradley Asa/Papua New Guinea Red Cross
Climate Change: a growing threat
Elizabeth’s story is also a stark reminder of the challenges her community faces. Rising sea levels are swallowing their island, inch by inch.
“The sea is moving inward, and the island is becoming smaller,” Elizabeth explains. “But our population is growing, so the density is increasing. We have nowhere to go because this is our customary land.”
This is one reason the Papua New Guinea Red Cross, with support from the IFRC, is carrying out the PNG Locally Led Climate Action Project across five provinces in Papua New Guinea. The project aims to address climate change and promote community-based disaster risk reduction. It also focuses on empowering women and youth through activities that encourage gender equity, food security and environment sustainability.
The impacts of climate change are felt daily. Families in the island now pay 10 kin (2.15 Swiss francs) monthly to rent land on the main island for backyard gardening, as their own land is shrinking in size, leaving no space for planting food crops.
Children risk their lives canoeing to school on neighboring islands, battling rising tides and unpredictable weather. “When the sea levels rise, it becomes harder and riskier for our children to commute,” Elizabeth says. “We are trapped between the sea and the sky.”
Promoting community Health and Safety
Elizabeth’s Health and fist aid skills have made her an advocate in her island community motivated by struggles of the past. She now educates other mothers on the importance of never leaving children unattended.
“Before we received the training, we lost three babies while trying to refer them to the nearest hospital,” she shares. “It takes 45 minutes by dinghy or 1-2 hours by canoe. Now, we can save lives immediately. We regret not having this knowledge sooner.”
The training also covered childbirth, a critical skill in a community where 2-3 babies are born each month. “Before, mothers would struggle to deliver babies as the nearest health centre is on another nearby island,” Elizabeth explains. “Now, we have the knowledge to help deliver babies safely here if we are not able to go to the health centre on time.”
Elizabeth’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of locally led climate adaptation and building resilience in isolated communities. “We would like to undergo similar trainings in the future, especially on climate change and PGI,” she says. “Refresher trainings would also help us retain and expand on what we have learned.”
Story and photo by Bradley Asa, communications and dissemination officer for the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society.
Learn more about first aid throughout the IFRC network.
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