Templar Corps and OSMTHU Commander in Mission to Guiné Bissau

OSMTHU Commander of Arraiolos, Fr+ Rui Herdadinha, has traveled this week to Guine Bissau on personal business but also on an official Templar Corps mission.

Following the success of the Cape Verde mission by Templar Corps Vice-National Commander Portugal Jorge Amador (see more details here and here), the Templar Corps has prepared an ambitious program that aims to deploy equipment, train and certify local first responders, firefighters and paramedics in Portuguese speaking African countries.

“It’s very important that we contribute with this knowledge transfer”, says Commander Herdadinha; “Portugal has a very long and friendly relationship with these young nations, where we find a friend on every corner. For one, the hospitality and kindness of the people of Guine Bissau is unsurpassed. We should do our best to help them develop their skills in every sector. The Templar Corps is especially interested in Humanitarian work.”

“Our training follows European standards and certifications”, explains Vice-National Commander Amador; “Our aim is to create local teams, ready to respond to crisis situations, be it urban fires, basic life support or natural disasters. The era of big international heavy NGO’s is coming to an end. We need to train smaller teams, give then good equipment and help them to be ready to cope with uncertainty and disaster, because when something extreme happens, they are the first ones on the ground. Always”.

The Templar Corps International (templarcorps.org) is the largest Humanitarian Organization composed of men and women with an interest in the historical Templar Order and their values of Chivalry and Altruism. It has members in over 25 countries.