Rural isolation is a root cause of poverty. When farmers can’t access the market to sell their crops, they lose their income. When rivers flood and a student’s commute to school becomes life threatening, that student loses out on their education. If a mother goes in to labor, but cannot safely cross the river to go to the hospital her likelihood of having complications during birth drastically increases. With a single innovation, a trailbridge, we are able to transform this reality and impact households across multiple dimensions.
During this week, where we’ve just inaugurated our 300th bridge globally, we are excited to announce our newest initiative in transforming rural access. Together with the Government of Rwanda, represented by the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), we have signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eradicate one of the root causes of poverty in communities, rural isolation.
The partnership, which will be implemented nationwide, will include building 355 pedestrian trailbridges serving over 1.1 million Rwandese. Individuals who are currently isolated will have the opportunity to pursue a brighter future, and the freedom to choose what that future looks like.
The official launch of the program is planned to commence in June 2019 in a ceremony that will be hosted by B2P and Government of Rwanda.