They want to build a fire station in Tanzania. Fire truck is already on its way

Jakub Walkowiak is a fireman from Grodzisk Wielkopolski, who a few years ago launched a fundraiser: "Gasimy Afrykę" (Extinguish Africa). The goal was to buy and equip a fire truck and deliver it to Butiama in Tanzania. Walkowiak said at the time that the nearest fire station was located dozens of kilometres away from the village, and that fires and road accidents could happen anywhere, even there.

Thanks to the money they collected, they bought a fire truck in Germany and managed to partially equip it. It's a used mercedes. On Sunday, Walkowiak set off to Germany to load the truck onto a ferry sailing to Africa. "We're going towards Bremerhaven. On Monday we will leave the truck on a ferry which will sail away to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. We will fly there on September 3 collect the truck and drive it approximately 1,000 kilometres to Butiama," Walkowiak said.

The fire truck which will make its way to Tanzania has come of age long time ago, but it will certainly serve the local residents well.

"It's a 30-year-old vehicle with the mileage of about 30,000 kilometres. After importing it from Germany, we had it checked at a local mercedes dealership and it turned out to be in very good condition. It's been off-road adjusted and has a large cabin big enough for eight people. It is a perfect car for African conditions," Walkowiak stressed.

"This truck will be easy to repair. A more modern vehicle would require a specialised service crew.

So far, the truck has hoses, connectors, nozzles and manifolds, but there is a plan to fit it also with specialised equipment, including such used in car accidents.

The money for the truck were collected during family picnics, music and sports events. Initially, the vehicle was meant to be sent over to Africa in the spring of 2020, but it had to be delayed due to the pandemic.

The initial idea also assumed the truck would drive the whole way up to Tanzania, but in the end the organisers decided to have it transported from Europe to Africa. Jakub Walkowiak reassures this year's trip to Africa will not be the last. He plans to send over more equipment and organise firefighting training on the spot.

"Local authorities know about our mission, they await us and the truck, and then they will form a fire service unit. Our mission keeps on going. Thanks to the gathered money we will continue to local firefighters with equipment and send volunteers who will provide training in Tanzania," Walkowiak said.

The fireman added that he still hoped for support from all those willing to help the African firefighters. He refers all interested in details to social media profile of "Gasimy Afrykę" project.