We were happy to see the footbridge built in Chari Chari, Bolivia win the 2013 Innovation in Sustainable Civil Engineering Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers!

Chari Chari footbridge

Chari Chari footbridge (photo from Bridges to Prosperity website; check out their project page HERE)

From the article:

On the Chari Chari side of the river is the primary school and a small room that functions as a clinic. The medical clinic, secondary school, markets and government offices are all located on the opposite side of the river from the town (and many miles away). The new bridge saves several hours of walking to make these trips when the water level is high. During the rainy season it is virtually impossible to cross the river, and even during the dry season the water runs as high as a child’s torso. There is no other crossing along the River Mizque for many miles in either direction. B2P, along with its local partner organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo, offered to assist the communities with constructing a safe, reliable, year round crossing of the river in the form of a footbridge.

Collaboration with Mano a Mano

This Chari Chari bridge was built by Bridges to Prosperity in collaboration with Mano a Mano. Materials for this bridge (and others in Bolivia) were shipped from the US to Bolivia by Mano a Mano in St. Paul, MN, and our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo provided its heavy equipment to level the groundwork on both sides of the river for the bridge.

Mano a Mano volunteers loading bridge-building materials in a container at our warehouse in Minnesota.

Mano a Mano volunteers loading bridge-building materials (along with supplies for Mano a Mano’s projects) in a container at our warehouse in Minnesota.

Loading cable for the bridges in a container. Each spool of cable weighed more than 1,000 pounds!

Loading cable for the bridges in a container. Each spool of cable weighed more than 1,000 pounds!

Congratulations B2P!

Congratulations to Bridges to Prosperity on this award! We are always happy to collaborate with other organizations that result in improving the lives of Bolivians.