On November 19, 2023, 500 ASEZ members from the Dominican Republic gathered to participate in the “1000 FOR LIFE” event. 500 ASEZ members from the Dominican Republic, 20 professional instructors from the Civil Defense, and other 10 VIPs took part in the “1000 FOR LIFE” that day. This event was organized for ASEZ members to learn specific relief techniques that can help people in danger immediately, such as CPR, measures to prevent choking, hemorrhage and wound control, etc.
The day before the event in Santo Domingo, heavy rains and floods caused the country to be declared in a state of emergency. Even though the event could have been canceled, it went ahead as planned with the support of the government. This decision was made because disaster prevention safety techniques are crucial, and it is hard to predict when such disasters may happen again.
The 500 volunteers who completed all the education of the National School of Risk Management were certified in disaster prevention safety techniques. At the event, a certificate of appreciation was awarded to ASEZ members and the Church of God. Juan Salas, Director of the Civil Defense, who presented ASEZ with the certificate of appreciation, said, “We applaud this initiative where more than 1,000 young people gather today to learn about risk management, and at the same time, we encourage society and young people to get involved in this topic. The world is increasingly at risk of greater threats. The situation facing humanity requires young people to get involved, not tomorrow or in the future, but today. For this reason, we congratulate the actions of the young people from the Church of God,” praising and expressing gratitude for the activities of ASEZ.
Miguelina Tactuk, Director of the National School of Risk Management, encouraged ASEZ, saying, “Today is extremely important. Especially we saw the pain of those affected by the flood. There is no better example than the one these ASEZ young adult members have set by emphasizing the need for citizens to be trained to assist victims in emergency situations.”
Gabriela Medina, an ASEZ volunteer, said, “I really enjoyed this training. What stood out to me the most was understanding that someone’s life can depend on how quickly you respond within just 3 minutes. Now, I’m prepared to help and save anyone in need in any situation.” We hope that ASEZ members, the leaders of the future generation who have developed the ability to save lives, will play the role of the salt and the light of the world anytime, anywhere.
