Project # 015 - Moletis Bridge

Location: Ethiopia; Amhara Region; Tehuledere Woreda about 300 miles north of Addis
Bridge Sponsor: The Rotary Club of Warrenton, Virginia
Local Community Sponsors: Helvetas - Ethiopia
Local Collaboration partners: Tehuledere Woreda, Helvetas, & ESRDF

Bridge name: Moletis
River name: Moletis
Bridge span: 50 meters (164 feet)
Population served by bridge: 8,000
Expected traffic: Moderate, 50 - 100 crossings per hour

Bridge Story: Just before the small Woreda capital of Hayk (meaning "lake") a dirt road carries one over large boulders and a small mountain to a lush valley on the other side. Dotted with farmers plowing with cattle and wooden implements, the valley has a rustic, productive feel. There is no electricity, no running water, no telephones, no television, and radio reception only possible on the hilltops. There is a silence and serenity to the area. The people are not starving, they are surviving through their own strength . . . and it is this strength that brought them to Bridges to Prosperity. It is this strength that will build their bridge – the bridge they value greater than electricity or transportation. The bridge is their communication . . . their conduit to the outside world.

Bridges to Prosperity, in co-operation with Helvetas Ethiopia and ESRDF have decided to help the people of Moletis, by training them to build Bridge # 08 in the Ethiopia Footbridge Program. Here, a small plaque will thank the Rotary Club of Warrington (along with a matching grant from Rotary International) for its generosity for donating the steel and cable.