Hurray for Ghana National Fire Station at Legon!

Today was a great day. We went on a field trip to the Fire Station to learn about fire safety and how firefighters work. It was a great day because the Fire service personnel actually gave us a show! It was fantastic! Instead of telling us about what they do; they allowed the children to experience it for themselves. I particularly enjoyed the trip because it helped redeem the image of Ghana’s bureaucratic and unproductive institutions in my mind. I am so glad the children did not see what so many of us assumed. School children do not take many trips in Ghana. This is because the adults in their lives assume there is not much to see. And the few places where they do go; those adults assume there is nothing to tell. Those trips end up being fatiguing for the children and the teachers who might have spent weeks scheduling/rescheduling/calling/rehearsing/and smooching to bring it all to fruition. I am glad to say that this was not my experience today. The Ghana National Fire Service proved that institutions here CAN work. And when they do, great things are to be expected. There is protocol for visitors. There is protocol for receiving children and activities planned for them. We were not the first group of children they had seen. Nor were we too small for them. We were visitors and they welcomed us with open arms; in true Ghanaian Akwaaba style. Here are some highlights. The children used a fire extinguisher which they sprayed for themselves. They then played with the cool gas like agent. After that, the firemen, dressed in full regalia, demonstrated how they prepare to fight fire. The children climbed the truck. They were driven in the truck with alarm on at full speed down the street. They then experience holding the water hose turned on at full speed. They realized how heavy and dangerous water can be if not properly managed. The Ghana National Fire Service gave us all the pomp and splendor deserving of these trips. The parents were more excited than the children; even clapping and cheering after each activity. But why were we so excited? The sad truth is that we had not expected anything better from the Fire Station. We had assumed what we all do after living in Ghana for a while. We thought they would have brushed us off with a lazy and bored speaker too tired to engage parents let alone children. We had thought they wouldn’t have prepared for us. We thought the speaker would have pointed at equipment and then chide at the children for wanting to touch them. We assumed that the firemen would not be too interested in their jobs let alone the children to discuss it in any length. We all thought this because that is the sad truth of institutions in Ghana. Ghana’s National Museum is one place where children should have the best of time while learning. Yet, the Museum and its curators are too boring for the parents. You go once and would not return if not for the sake of visiting a National Museum in Ghana. Same can be said for the Slave Fort museums. We visited the National Zoo a few weeks ago. It took us over an hour to find the Zoo, while inside the zoo. There were no signs, no paved roads and no guides. The Zoo was a big secret. No one knew they were there and no one dared venture in unless the misguided and bold. Although we eventually enjoyed our tour of the animals (we saw a camel, ostrich, monkeys and so much more), the time wasted trying to find the entrance in about 10 acres of a forest could not be forgotten. Thank Goodness for the Ghana National Fire Service. They proved that institutions in Ghana do have modus operandi. Although few want to follow it; we all win when they do.