Fika 2022 Build
Mucyabahinja Suspension Bridge
Rwanda
Flintco partnered with Bridges to Prosperity, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to building bridges in isolated communities worldwide. After receiving many raised hands from Flintco volunteers, ten were ultimately chosen to travel to Mucyabahinja, Rwanda, for a two-week trip to build a suspension bridge over the Muhembe River. Despite the exhaustion, extreme heat, and rain delays, the Flintco team completed the bridge on time with great success! On average, ten people were dying each year trying to cross the river, including children trying to get to and from school. Now, those deaths will be prevented, positively impacting the community for generations to come. In October, we received an email from our friends at B2P with an update from the village with testimonials about the impact the bridge has had in their community.
FACES OF THE MISSION
Hope starts with the people who help.
Anthony oyewole
Project Lead
Josh Patterson
Construction Lead
Steve Jordan
Safety Lead
Sean Williams
Logistics Lead
Burgundi Willyard
Communications Lead
Jordan Phillips
Supporting Team Member
Bryan Bova
Supporting Team Member
Nick Reetz
Supporting Team Member
Kelsey Rollings
Supporting Team Member
Julian Steer
Supporting Team Member
Follow the Journey
Every bridge has a story worth telling.
FEBRUARY 17TH – MARCH 6TH, 2022
Arrival
Happy to report that the majority of the team has arrived safely in Kigali, Rwanda! The last of our team is scheduled to arrive tomorrow — Kelsey Rollings and Nick Reetz — so continued well wishes for them as they travel for the next 20-24 hours! Once we landed, we collected our visas and received COVID tests (all negative). From the airport, we took taxis to our hotel (The Nest), for a couple of days. Traffic in the city is crowded and quick but we arrived safely!
02/19
Today we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, created to remember victims of the genocide in 1994. The memorial promotes peace and a bright future, dismissing revenge, and encouraging a sense of community. After the memorial tour, and lunch, locals approached offering to sell their art, and began making conversation as we walked back to The Nest. Everyone we have encountered has been incredibly kind and polite! We had dinner with B2P East Africa Corporate Program Manager Mariale Rodriguez and B2P Corporate Coordinator Arnold Gugingo at a favorite restaurant, Kurry Kingdom. The food was fantastic.
02/20
Today the team had an early morning with breakfast at 6 AM and meeting with the drivers for our trip to Giseke! After breakfast, we headed out to the market to gather supplies for the next two weeks. The market was small but well stocked and we got all our essential items. Anything we have left at the end of the project, will be donated to the community.
The 3-hour drive was filled with beautiful scenery. Many children lined the streets and would wave as we drove by! We made it to our homes in the village around 5PM. We were greeted by Mudugudu, the village leader, who welcomed us, thanked us for building the bridge and hopes we return again. We feel very welcomed and are excited to get started building Monday!
The 3-hour drive was filled with beautiful scenery. Many children lined the streets and would wave as we drove by! We made it to our homes in the village around 5PM. We were greeted by Mudugudu, the village leader, who welcomed us, thanked us for building the bridge and hopes we return again. We feel very welcomed and are excited to get started building Monday!
02/21
It’s a 20-minute drive and then a 10-minute hike from where we are staying in Giseke to the site. We started the day with a huddle that included the community. We discussed the day’s task plan and then performed stretch & flex. After completing pre-task plans (PTPs), we started work! Some of the team began clamping cables together while others checked that bolts would fit in the pre-drilled runners. The day’s work took a lot of people pulling cables, running rebar through runners, painting steel, and moving large rocks. We completed pulling the top cables today and will do the bottom cables first thing tomorrow. We are on schedule and met our goals for the day. We had many other community members, including students, walk by the bridge and stop to observe us. The community members who are helping with construction are incredibly hardworking and helpful! We showed members how to use tools they weren’t accustomed to like a socket set; more than $12,000 in tools were donated by Flintco trade partner White Cap out of their Oklahoma City office. Thank you! We are leaving the tools behind for use by the community when the bridge is complete.
02/22
The B2P team works hand-in-hand with the local Giseke community to move rocks from various staging points on the project site, an effort anticipated to take several days. The team’s current average is 18 RPMs (rocks per minute)! Some of the team continued torquing the bolts for the Crosby clips on the cables, while others broke for lunch on site, and then mandatory COVID tests. All Flintco members tested NEGATIVE for COVID and were cleared to proceed with work! The team is forming relationships with community members. A local man named Anast — asked for a photo with Kelsey Rollings during today’s break. We look forward to continuing working and building relationships as the project progresses!
02/23
Today was very productive and the team is making many “inshuti” (friends)! More of the community is showing interest in the project, with many locals sitting on the hillsides watching us work. Julian Steer and Nick Reetz made conversation with those watching once we were close to wrapping up work for the day. We were welcomed as usual by the community after returning home with a request for an informal meet and greet. It’s been an amazing experience! The team broke into four groups. Team 1 relocated runners across the river, which included a quarter mile walk up and down steep slopes on either side. Team 2 started painting columns the colors of the Rwandan flag. Team 3 finished placing U-bolts around the rebar that runs through the runners, and Team 4 installed the remaining cable clamps on the main bridge cables. Relocation of the runners was completed well before lunch – a huge milestone for the team!
02/24
Today our goal was to start the decking and backfill of the far side of the bridge.
First, we had a tutorial on how to place the decking, then we split into two teams of 3 to start decking on both sides of the bridge. The remaining 3 team members relocated rocks so we could backfill in the afternoon.
A rain delay prevented work for a couple of hours, but some community members continued work and backfilled the far side of the bridge. When the skies cleared, we started moving rocks and sand and resumed the decking installation.
Thanks to a huge contribution from the community, we met all our goals today! We look forward to completing the decking and the concrete on the far side of the bridge tomorrow. We are excited to share our knowledge and continue to build relationships as the community continues to assist us!
02/25
The team is happy to report they met their goals and are ahead of schedule!
They successfully finished decking and the concrete on the far side of the bridge before the day ended. The community continued to help by mixing and pouring concrete on the far side of the bridge to help complete their tasks. The B2P team also began torquing the bolts on the decking (75 % complete) and adding a nut to the U-bolts (90% complete).
The community inspires them every day with their efforts! They are so thankful they get to work hand-in-hand with such outstanding individuals. Today the team was also blessed to be greeted by a few children — Sean and Nick received hugs! — who were curious about my camera and loved seeing themselves in pictures.
It was heartwarming to know they will be using this bridge long after we are gone — it’s incredible to see how excited they are! The team’s spirits are high and can’t wait to finish strong next week!
02/28
The end of the project is in sight! The final bolts on the Crosby clips were torqued to the required 489 Newton meters (N•m) and cables cut. The bridge required 1032 bolts that run through the decking along with 174 U-bolts with 696 nuts.
After a rain delay, the team stretched fencing across the bridge and intend to finish tying the fence to the bridge tomorrow. The community put tar on the cables and backfilled the final hole. The team was back in work mode after a weekend of much needed rest and look forward to finishing strong!
03/01
Today was sunny and warm, and the team made the most of the weather. The work is tedious and hard on the hands – tying the fencing to the cable and rebar –but with a lot of teamwork the bridge remains ahead of schedule. The community helped by placing and finishing concrete on the near side of the bridge. The team is visiting the local school tomorrow to meet students who will use the bridge! Thursday, the community will put the finishing touches on the bridge.
It has been a hard 13 days away from home filled with difficult work, but our Flintco team is in high spirits and cannot wait to see the bridge complete!
03/02
Amazing, beautiful, impactful, inspiring, and joyous are some words the team used to describe their day after visiting the local school, which has over 1,000 students. The students prepared songs and dances with the team joining in the fun! The students were so happy with the visit and proud to share their talents. The team donated soccer balls and jump ropes. One boy challenged Julian Steer with impressive soccer footwork! Today was easily the team’s favorite day. Friday is inauguration day to celebrate the completion of the bridge with the community!
03/03
Today we traveled to Kigali to get our COVID tests in preparation for our travel home. The community members put the final touches on the bridge and tomorrow is the inauguration. Our team and the community members have been working hard and can’t wait to celebrate the completion of the bridge!
03/03
Today we traveled to Kigali to get our COVID tests in preparation for our travel home. The community members put the final touches on the bridge and tomorrow is the inauguration. Our team and the community members have been working hard and can’t wait to celebrate the completion of the bridge!
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