Bridges to Prosperity

Bridges change lives. That’s a belief we share with international charity Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), and why a Ramboll team relocated to eastern Uganda with a mission to create a footbridge to link a community divided by a frequently impassable river.

Ramboll is proud to partner with B2P who work with isolated communities to create access to essential healthcare, education and economic opportunities by building trail bridges over impracticable rivers. We are currently supporting B2P as country partner with constant funding from the Ramboll Foundation, and we have been supporting this mission since 2018. The Foundation, which was set up to ensure the financial and commercial development of the Ramboll Group, grants philanthropic donations to deserving causes each year.

The partnership with Bridges to Prosperity delivers great value both ways – while we contribute to support stranded communities in Africa, involvement with these projects in turn allows for rich life and work experiences to our teams. People have proven greatly motivated to make a difference and immerse in a totally different culture, in the end drawing massive inspiration, learning and insight from it.

Our work with B2P aligns with the Ramboll 2022-2025 strategy – The Partner for Sustainable Change, globally aiming to help clients and society realise a sustainable future with better conditions for people and nature. In late 2021- early 2022, our experts have been working with B2P to develop a Temporary Bridge Design that will guarantee safe crossing during construction of the bridges. A standard guideline would ease the work of the teams, helping them estimate related material quantities and improve structure quality, cost and safety.

Ramboll’s commitment to create sustainable societies where people and nature flourish is matched by our team’s determination across the globe that engineering can make a better world. It is this commitment and energy that turns dreams, into reality.

The bridges we have built to date

Rwanda 2022 – Gikombe trailbridge over storm water channel

Rwanda 2021 – Bushoka suspension bridge over the Satinsyi river

At the beginning of July 2021, with continued the support of the Ramboll Foundation, Bridges to Prosperity alongside the Bushoka community members completed the construction of a 89-meter trail bridge spanning the Satinsyi river, in the rural Ngororero District in the Western Province of Rwanda. The Satinsyi river is flooded up to thirty days every year, being too dangerous to cross, with people risking their lives to access essential services.

The bridge took four months to complete and now safely connects the communities to the nearest hospital, government services, markets and both primary and secondary schools, serving over 1,500 individuals, with lasting impact for decades to come.

Rwanda 2020 - Uwumugeti-Kisuga suspension bridge over the Nyirankumbure river

The partnership between Ramboll and Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) continued to produce material results in 2020, despite not being able to physically send out a team of volunteers due to Covid-19 travel restrictions. Funded by the Ramboll Foundation and constructed by B2P alongside local craftspeople, the Uwumugeti-Kisuga suspension bridge over the Nyirankumbure river was completed in September and now serves two communities in the rural Nyamagabe Region of the Southern Province of Rwanda. The bridge provides safe access for more than 2,700 individuals who were previously forced to put their lives in jeopardy to seek opportunity.

Rwanda 2019 – Gashyushya suspension bridge over the Makurungwe river

In September 2019, a team of five Ramboll engineers from across Europe and India travelled to Rwanda together with the Bridges to Prosperity, to help build a suspension bridge across the Makurungwe river.
Prior to the new bridge, crossing the Makurungwe River could be a dangerous but necessary undertaking for the Murama and Munini communities in Gashyushya to get to the market, school and hospital. The river frequently flooded for days at a time, causing injuries and death for those who attempted to cross. The new bridge now provides safe year-round access for the local communities.

Uganda 2018 – Namawukulu footbridge over the Ngame river

In 2018, Ramboll built its first footbridge across the Ngame river in two weeks. Regular flooding means that the existing ford was impassable for about 30 days a year. The footbridge we created in partnership with NGO Bridges to Prosperity keeps the communities of LHS Namawukulu, Bumbiman RHS Kishambua and Malandu connected year-round, improving the lives of residents immeasurably.