RPBUSA Funding to B2P Rwanda
T H E R W A N D A P R A Y E R B A N Q U E T ’ S F U N D I N G P L A Y E D A K E Y R O L E I N F U R T H E R I N G O U R M I S S I O N A N D V I S I O N
With the supporters like the Rwanda Prayer Banquet, we continue to reach our objectives as an organization and in our mission to provide access for hundreds of thousands of rural residents across East Africa this past year. We are thrilled to share with you a quick overview of our work.
OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES
B2P pursued new opportunities and problem-solved through challenges in the 2022-2023 build year, pushing the organization to reach new heights.
Throughout the 2023 fiscal year, our build teams completed a combined 70 bridges that serve nearly 225,000 (we built a total of
40 bridges in the entire 2021-2022 year), providing transformational access to key resources, services, and opportunities. This year also saw the largest number of bridge builds occurring simultaneously, with some months seeing as many as 20 bridges being constructed at the same time.
6 bridges are currently under construction across Rwanda and Uganda, and we anticipate completing a total of 75-80 bridges that will serve 230,000 rurally isolated residents by the close of the fiscal year on August 31, 2023. Our teams across all countries have worked diligently and collaboratively over the past 12 months, resulting in our biggest build year to date.
In Uganda, 5 bridges have thus far been completed, with one bridge under construction. These bridges serve over 11,000 rural residents across the country. In exciting news, a number of studies have been carried out in both eastern and western Uganda to give an understanding of how women and girls are involved in infrastructure development. One study also covers how trail bridges have contributed to their livelihood and more for both identified and completed projects. Thus far, 27 sites have been identified and 10 have been completed in both regions.
65 bridges have been constructed in Rwanda over the last 12 months, with 5 more under construction across the region. Despite inital challenges with the delivery of cables and clamps, the team worked collaboratively to identify solutions. As a result, shipments from several countries arrived in Rwanda, with more on the way. The team is now preparing for the upcoming FY24 bridge builds in the country.
Ethiopia bridges are ongoing and on track to be completed by August of this year. Training and research workshops have been conducted in the country regarding bridge construction and maintenance, infrastructure study design, asset management research, and site- specific impact evaluations with our partner Helvetas. In more exciting news, an additional workshop was held to discuss the integration of trail bridges into university curricula, an important step to continue scaling rural infrastructure across the county. Pariticpating universities recognized the need for integration, and all universities will decide which course is ideal for integration in the months to come.
We are thrilled to close out the 2022-2023 build year, and look forward to leveraging opportunities and overcoming challenges in the upcoming fiscal year. Your financial
support has been critical to the impact we’ve been able to create across our program countries to-date, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership.65 bridges have been constructed in Rwanda over the last 12 months, with 5 more under construction across the region. Despite inital challenges with the delivery of cables and clamps, the team worked collaboratively to identify solutions. As a result, shipments from several countries arrived in Rwanda, with more on the way. The team is now preparing for the upcoming FY24 bridge builds in the country.