Project # 044 - Galana River Suspension Bridge

Location: Kenya; District of Malindi, Coastal Province
Bridge Sponsors: AIG Project Africa, Gorta
Local Kenyan Sponsors: Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA)
Local Community Sponsor: Kisiki Group Ranch

Bridge name: Galana River Community Footbridge
River name: River Galana
Bridge span: 112 meters (371 ft)
Bridge type: Suspension
Population served by bridge: 5,000 people
Bridge builders: Bridging the Gap, Inc

Bridge Story: The word “Galana” means river in the local dialect of the Watta people. The Watta were renowned for being valiant elephant hunters, and for hundreds of years they coexisted with the wildlife within the general area of Tsavo National Park. However, when the Park was established in 1948, the Watta were forced off their ancestral lands and were told they could no longer hunt elephants by the government. Having no other skills besides hunting, they quickly became marginalized, desperate and poor.

Thanks to the efforts of an Irish missionary Derek Roulston and a team from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), this community today has reason to celebrate. In 2002, Derek with the Ministry of Agriculture started a four year teaching program to instruct the Watta in sustainable farming techniques and assistance in marketing these crops. Their efforts have been extremely successful and prospered the community. The people of Ireland have provided much needed funding to build a much needed primary school and health clinic which were completed in 2005. There are now almost four hundred students attending the school with thirteen teachers committed to raising the education standards. The health clinic not only seeks to treat the sick but is also involved in HIV/AIDS education and awareness. The irrigation has been so successful that fourteen new schemes are being implemented to include one hundred and thirty acres of land. This will enable a large amount of produce to be grown all year round providing food and creating employment in the area.

Unfortunately, there is one problem – the only all weather road to Malindi and beyond, where their crops would be sold, is for half of the community on the other side of the Galana River. The River Galana is wide, notorious as being infested with large crocodiles and hippos. There are so many sad stories of men, women and children being killed, not to mention many drowning. Derek saw that it was imperative to have a footbridge, so that the community’s work would be sustainable.

Derek heard of an organization called Bridging the Gap, which has built over fifty suspended footbridges in Kenya and contacted the director, Harmon Parker to ask for their assistance. Once Harmon surveyed the proposed site, he immediately saw that BtG’s standard suspended footbridge design would not be suitable for this great span. Through a series of events, Harmon contacted Bridges to Prosperity’s founder, Ken Frantz to see if B2P would consider partnering with BtG to design and help construct this much-needed footbridge. Ken then asked B2P’s board member and engineer Chris Rollins to travel to Kenya to survey the Galana site to access the feasibility of the project. Chris confirmed that a suspension bridge was the only option.

At present, the ground has been cleared and the excavations for foundations are being dug. In the meantime, B2P engineers, along with a team of engineering students from Baylor University are in the process of designing a footbridge that will be appropriate for this site.

The Watta community is very excited about the footbridge that will enable them one day to take their produce to market safely. Truly this will be a Bridge to Prosperity! Building Bridges - Transforming Lives