© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A mother and her teen daughter both sign up to be volunteer firefighters

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now we meet a high school senior with a side hustle.

MOKEIRA GEKONGE: My name is Mokeira Gekonge, and at Barren Hill Fire Company, I'm a volunteer. I'm a junior firefighter.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Mokeira lives in Whitemarsh Township, Pa.

M GEKONGE: I would see a lot of signs out at different stations, and they were all requesting help and volunteers needed. So that was kind of the first thing that drew me to it and made me feel like I could help out.

INSKEEP: So she told her mom, Betsy Gekonge, she wanted to be a firefighter.

BETSY GEKONGE: When Mokeira decided that she was going to apply, I felt that me not knowing enough about the fire service, one way for me to kind of educate myself about it would be to also participate and volunteer. And so that's where my journey started.

FADEL: Yeah. Her mom joined with her.

M GEKONGE: I was surprised because I had expected to just do it by myself, and she never really talked to me about wanting to do it, as well. It was kind of spontaneous. So it was a nice surprise.

INSKEEP: A kind of spontaneous combustion. After training for the past year, Mokeira and Betsy are now certified, fighting a trend in which fewer people than in the past serve as volunteer firefighters.

(SOUNDBITE OF ELM'S "CLEVER GIRL") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.