Menard Canada x Bridges to Prosperity
After the success of the previous editions organized by Freyssinet in Rwanda (2018) and Uganda (2019), Soletanche Freyssinet has renewed its partnership with Bridges to Prosperity!
Led by Freyssinet, the 2023 Mission, will take place in Rwanda during a two-week mission planned from October 16th to October 27th, 2023.
This time, a team of 11 volunteers will leave for Rwanda to build a footbridge that will give a number of villages much better access to the outside world.
Quentin Lovric, on the B2P mission:
Quentin Lovric from our Montreal team will be taking part in this third mission to Africa with Bridges to Prosperity. He will be the logistic lead into the 2023 B2P mission.
Discover more about his mission below.
What inspired you to become involved in the Bridges to Prosperity mission and participate in this upcoming mission in Rwanda?
Sharing my time and site experience in a charity project was one of the main reasons I applied to the B2P mission in Rwanda. Moreover, bridge construction is something new to me, and it is going to be interesting to work alongside people with various expertise from different companies within the group.
Can you share some details about the objectives and goals of the upcoming mission and what specific role you will play in it?
The Mitabi mission consists of building a trail bridge over the Mitabi river in the Rulindo district in Rwanda from the 16th of October to the 27th of October. Site location is around one hour drive North of Kigali. This connection will allow around 3,000 inhabitants to have access to health centers and markets during rainy season, leading them out of poverty.
As a logistics lead, I organize accommodations and activities locally. I work on the fundraising and make sure everyone has its flight and visa ready before leaving. On site, I will help building the bridge.
What do you hope to achieve personally and professionally by participating in B2P?
Personally, it’s rewarding to help a community by sharing my skills and time. Professionally, working in a country with its own specificities will push me to adapt to new situations. Also, learning about bridge construction, which is a first for me, will be engaging.
How do you plan to document and share your experiences during the mission?
Our team will take videos and pictures. We will get a SIM card to have access to the Internet. We are currently looking for a local company to get aerial captions. Posts will be uploaded online while building the trail bridge.
Can you outline your expectations for the impact the bridge will have on the local communities in Rwanda?
Eventually, Mitabi and Karengeri communities will have more opportunities to empower them out of poverty with this safe access. Healthcare, work opportunities and education will be at hand, and they will encounter less hardship on a day-to-day basis.
The NGO Bridges to Prosperity
Bridges to Prosperity is an NGO which designs, builds, and maintains durable and environmentally sustainable bridges that provide safe crossing and avoid rural isolation – an important root cause of poverty.
With over 95% of the Rwandan population living in rural areas, many people live in rural isolation due to impassible rivers. Families and children don’t have safe access to critical resources like health care, education, or employment. Thanks to the building of a footbridge in a community, household income increases by 30%, agricultural profits rise by 74% and violence and hunger are greatly reduced.
The mission volunteers have set up their own fundraising campaign. You can contribute to the project and become a fundraiser.
