Today marked the first time the whole team was able to walk across the entire length of the new Nkegete trailbridge! Decking is installed (minus a few alterations), fencing is up (awaiting some tying in), and with tomorrow as our last full day of work before Thursday’s inauguration, we’re within touching distance of the completion of the project.
With just a few more tasks left, I want to take the opportunity to step back and talk about exactly why we’re here.
Rwanda is without doubt one of the most beautiful countries I’ve been fortunate enough to visit. Its location within the great rift valley makes for an incredible landscape full of mountains, lakes, volcanoes and in every direction are lush green forests (and, of course, rivers).
The Gasayo river, part of a network considered by some to be the most distant source of the Nile, arrives into our construction area as a waterfall and then cuts through the site as a fairly innocuous looking stream. Just a few feet wide in places. It’s easy to forget that Rwanda has two intense rainy seasons, when the Gasayo can quickly rise to become completely impassable. Just last month at least 130 people were killed by floods and landslides in this province, and our team have heard first hand from members of the local community who have lost children to the river, they simply can’t find a safe way back home from school when the water is high.
This project isn’t just about a bridge, it’s about the opportunity on the other side of the river. I know everyone in the team has been struck by the beauty of Rwanda, but it’s impossible not to also recognise the poverty we’ve seen here. Infrastructure is just a part of the answer, but every bridge, healthcare visit, trip to market and every child who makes it home from school is a step in the right direction.
One of the most important aspects to B2P’s bridge projects is that they’re not just built for the communities who’ll use them, they’re built by these communities. This is a distinction I hadn’t fully appreciated before arriving, but is a key ingredient to the ‘prosperity’ part of the charity’s purpose. Since day one of construction the bridge has been built by one cohesive team, and I have found working alongside the local community as equals to be the most rewarding part of the last two weeks. After the build, the local workers will receive qualifications demonstrating the skills they have developed, and bridges like this one typically increase local vaccination rates by 45%, increases local farm profits by 75%, and school attendance for girls by 200%.
The whole team is gearing up for another full day of work tomorrow; tightening bolts, backfilling, concreting, and painting. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and can’t wait to see the bridge ready for the community to use.
-Eden
1 Comments
Great work by all concerned. Wonderful project 👌
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