Africa Fire Mission (AFM) is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions. AFM will use this grant to support the funding for the Fire and EMS Training Symposium in Kenya from November 11-17, 2024. This event serves as an incredible opportunity to train members of the fire service and develop leaders. Through this grant funding, AFM team members will prioritize the mental wellness of first responders by continuing the development of health and mental wellness programs for emergency personnel. Additionally, this year will feature a focus on leadership development training, especially integration of all levels of leadership from new firefighters to current fire service leadership.
Fire is a constant and tangible threat to the lives, health, and safety of people in Africa. Disaster relief recourses are limited in Kenya; most communities do not have adequate resources to address the fire safety needs of the community. Firefighters in these communities also lack sufficient initial and on-going training. In Kenya - a country of 53 million people - only 38 fire stations exist with 1800 firefighters country-wide. Germany, which is comparable to Kenya in population and land mass, has nearly one million firefighters. Despite these challenges, firefighters in Kenya serve their communities and will risk their lives doing their job, even without PPE or suitable training. AFM’s programs address critical development needs of the Kenyan Fire Service by supporting sustainable growth efforts and empowering firefighters through gear and training.
The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated more than $100 million over the past 10 years, focuses its giving on three key areas: first responder programming, technology and engineering education, and programs that blend the two. The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that benefit underrepresented and underserved populations and aims to partner with organizations that align to its values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity, and inclusion.
Through this grant, AFM can continue to train, empower, support, and encourage more members of the fire service across Africa!
