On 24 January 2026, learning stepped beyond the classroom for 240 pupils from 12 Primary and Junior High Schools across the West Gonja Municipality. Their destination was a striking public artwork in Damongo, a mural that tells an important story about fire, people, and the savannah landscape.
Titled Flames of Duality, the mural is a powerful visual exploration of fire as both a life-sustaining tool and a destructive force. Developed in collaboration with the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society at King’s College London, the artwork was shaped by rich inputs from hunters, herders, farmers, traditional leaders, academics, and government agencies. Together, these voices reflect the lived realities of fire use in Northern Ghana.
Through guided outdoor learning sessions around the mural, the pupils explored how fire is used responsibly in daily life for farming, cooking, and hunting, while also learning about the serious risks posed by uncontrolled bushfires to people, wildlife, and ecosystems. The sessions emphasised a critical message that everyone has a role to play in fire management.
The engagement was lively and deeply reflective. The children shared their own experiences, asked insightful questions, and, inspired by what they learned, proudly pledged to become Fire Heroes, young advocates for safe and responsible fire use within their communities.
This activity forms part of ongoing efforts to promote equitable and inclusive fire management in Northern Ghana, blending local knowledge with scientific research to build understanding and resilience.
By using art as a learning tool, Flames of Duality is helping to nurture a generation that understands fire not just as a hazard, but as a responsibility. Together, these young learners are taking meaningful steps toward a safer, more sustainable future for their communities and for the savannah landscapes they call home.
