Black Germans
Fozyatou (18) is the first black female firefighter of Germany. Location: The small town of Binsförth (260 inhabitants) in Hessen, wrote Bild.de
Fozyatou arrived in Hessen with her mother from Togo when she was just a baby. She grew up with the German nursery school, Hesse Green Sauce and the youth fire brigade.
"At the fire department there was always something going on. There were festivals, competitions, camps. Everyone wanted to go."
The first experiences with water gave her so much fun that she wanted to be a real fire-fighter. Fozyatou: "A few weeks ago I finished my basic training successfully. Now I am there when there is a fire somewhere."
Your team at the Volunteer Fire Brigade is Binsförth 20 men and four women strong. On average, there are many ladies here.
This is not true everywhere. The German Fire Service Association is urgently seeking females.
…"As a woman you will not be looked at suspiciously anymore if you want to join fire brigade," said Fozyatou”. But as an African woman you will stand out.
Fozyatou: "Most speak to me about my hair. My mother weaves it according to an old Togolese tradition. It takes 18 hours each time." However: "Getting the thick braids under the helmet, is not so easy. "
Since the flight of mother Fozyatou never returned to their homeland Togo.. "I would love to go there," she says, "but I'm already at home in Germany."
Over two years, Germany's first black firefighter will graduate . What she wants to do it, she knows very well. Fozyatou: "I want to be a policewoman, but after work, in any case I will continue to put out fires."
