As part of the First Aid at Work Project in West Africa, the Burkinabe Red Cross organized a Training of Trainers of Trainers Level C session in Ziniaré from 1 to 5 June 2025. This initiative, aligned with the Global First Aid Reference Center’s (GFARC) recommendations, aimed to train 16 new instructors in 2025 and thereby strengthen the National Society’s teaching capacity for the long term.
The session’s primary goal was twofold: to refresh trainers’ knowledge and to prepare them to design and deliver modules that meet GFARC’s international first aid standards. To that end, participants began by reflecting on their role in effective skills transmission. They then explored course‐planning techniques, learning to structure programmes both for beginners and for professionals seeking retraining. Throughout, special attention was paid to learners’ health, an essential concern in any professional training environment.
The methodology of this ToT combined individual preparatory work with face‐to‐face group sessions. During the distance‐learning phase, each trainee drafted a detailed micro‐teaching plan, laying the groundwork for practical application. The subsequent five days of in‐person training comprised twenty thematic sequences, each featuring theoretical input, role‐playing exercises, and both formative and summative assessments. This approach ensured a coherent pedagogical progression, with immediate hands‐on practice followed by time for reflection. Finally, participants validated their learning by preparing and delivering an initial training course, demonstrating mastery of the teaching and assessment tools acquired.
By the end of the week, the Burkinabe Red Cross had five new fully operational trainers of trainers , capable of leading first aid trainer courses at national and regional levels with both rigor and creativity. This advancement represents a decisive lever for the sustainable dissemination of emergency response expertise, thereby reinforcing workplace safety and resilience throughout the West African sub‐region.
