Building a Bridge in Bolivia

In May, I am going to Bolivia with the non-profit organisation Engineers in Action to construct a bridge.

We will build a 37-meter-long suspended footbridge across the Chunchuli Alto River to serve 1,190 residents of a small community.

Project Site, Chunchuli Alto River, Bolivia

Right now, seasonal flooding isolates the locals. For 150 days a year, the Chunchuli Alto River is impassable due to high water levels in the rainy season. The river prevents residents from accessing the local market in Villa Charcas, impacting their ability to sell their crops, goods, and livestock. 35 children have to find another route to get to school and the closest Health Centre is more difficult to get to.

Critically, the footbridge we are building will provide safe access to essential resources for the local community.

I will spend one month helping with the construction from the start, building the foundations after the site has been excavated, until its completion. The amazing team building the bridge is made up of two Bolivian masons, ten locals and eleven students from the Universities of Toronto, Alberta and British Columbia.

The student volunteers are expected to fund the bridge themselves. Therefore, I need to personally contribute $2500 to the cost of the bridge, which will go towards the materials, tools, labour and travel expenses. This project fee, in addition to my flights comes to a total of £3500 that I am hoping to raise. I would be very grateful for your donations. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

For those who don’t know, I am currently on a gap year after going to Mayfield School. In September, I will go on to study General Engineering at Durham. So building this bridge will be a unique and invaluable opportunity for me. I can't wait to gain hands-on experience and learn about a real-world development project. :)

Overall, this project will help with my personal growth and I hope to gain a deeper appreciation for the blessings in my life through contributing to something bigger than myself. 

Thank you!

Please feel free to have a look at the Engineers in Action website to learn more about what they do: https://www.engineersinaction.org/

(All the photos included are from previous bridges that Engineers in Action have built)