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Gaseke
Gaseke is in Rwanda, about 30km North of Kigali, see the embedded map below to see where that is. Gaseke's Bridge to Prosperity is a suspension bridge, spanning 51m over the Mwange River. Previously all the population had to cross the bridge was a narrow metal beam which frequently got washed away during the flood season, making the river impassable. When the river cannot be safely crossed the communities are cut off from healthcare, education and markets, severely impacting their quality of life.
We're really excited about the bridge we've built, have a look at the fact file below for more information about it.
Community Served:Gaseke
River: Mwange
Bridge Type: Suspension
Pedestrian Bridge Span: 50m
Population Served: Nkoto Cell (approximately 1600 people) and Gaseke Cell (approximately 2700 people)
Estimated daily traffic: 200 school children and adults on normal days; on Fridays, the Gaseke Market brings 1300 people across the river, and on Tuesdays, the Rusine Market brings 800 people across
Above is an image taken from the 3D model of our bridge we've made in Google Sketchup.
Above: Rio Abajo, Nicaragua, completed 2015
Above: Jocote Arriba Bridge, Nicaragua, completed 2015
Above: La Conga Bridge, Panama, completed 2014
Who will use the bridge?
A bridge to cross the River Mwange for the community of Nkoto will provide safe all year round access for:
• Children to attend schools in the the Gaseke Town.
• People to attend the healthcare of Kajevuba Center (located at 5KM downstream from the Bridge Site).
• People to work in the sugar cane field that covers the entire valley between Nkoto and Gaseke.
• Farmers will be able to access the local markets of Gaseke and Rusine.
• The community will have access to the main road, Kigali-Katuna, (this road forms Border of Rwanda and Uganda) which goes to the city of Gicumbi as well.
• The community of Gaseke mostly crosses the river to visit relatives and access farms. Most infrastructure is located in the Gaseke Cell which means that the bridge will change impact the lives of the Nkoto community more.
The bridge will eliminate the risk of crossing the river during the rainy season from March through May during flood events. As a result, the Gaseke Suspended Bridge will significantly change the lives of these communities. The main Road, Kigali-Katuna, is the only route of transportation to sell the crops for these communities. A large portion of the agriculture products is sent to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, with the remaining going to the district capital of Gicumbi. People carry their goods on their heads, bicycles or motorcycles to the main road where they can find trucks to transport them to the larger markets of Kigali and Gicumbi. The current river crossing consists of a single steel beam, which is not safe. During the rainy season, the water level frequently rises over this existing bridge, and the river cannot be crossed until it returns to a more normal water level. A pedestrian bridge over the Mwange River will safely connect the communities of Nkoto and Gaseke to local Infrastructure and capital resources.
Above: Some images of the existing 'bridge' in across the Mwange in Gaseke.