A few months ago, I was talking with my friend Alan, a local Missionary who lives in Montepuez, but works in the surrounding villages outside of town. A casual conversation about his work soon turned into a discussion about the impoverished conditions he sees on a daily basis. My curiosity spawned a visit to Bandar, a village of about 5,000 people who sustain a stagnant livelihood through subsistence farming. About three or four kilometers down the road from Bandar is the Rio Montepuez whose banks and surrounding flood plains are the site of plush farms that provide villagers with the food they need to survive.
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| Bandar's Central "Plaza" surrounded by the homes of community members. |
During my visit, I spoke with a number of community members from Bandar, as well as Kampir and Nchomekah (two villages on the other side of the river) about the river’s role in their lives, and was surprised to find just how much influence it had. It’s the life-blood of the people, their source of water. It determines the farming season, when they can plant and when they can harvest. For those who are sick, it determines if they will have access to a hospital. And for students, it determines when the school year starts, and if they will be able to attend a secondary school. The river determines accessibility, and this in turn, impacts the lives of those who depend on it.
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| Farmers working their plots during the Dry Season |
For a community that thrives on its ability to farm the land, the river has a significant impact on most, if not all potential for economic development of the local economy. The majority of locals living in Bandar, Kampir and Nchomekah, have one or more machambas (personal farms) on either side of the river. They use these plots to grow their food for the entire year, and when it’s possible, they use any extra land to grow cotton, the local cash crop, which can then be sold to a local cotton processing company.
For eight months out of the year, the river remains in a fairly docile state. Crocodiles, though present and still very dangerous, are easy to spot in the shallow water and can often be avoided. Fallen tree trunks are used as makeshift bridges, though locals can easily wade through the knee-to-waist-deep water if they choose to do so.
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| Left: A Farmer crosses a make-shift bridge with his bike. Right: A river crocodile killed by farmers is put on display in town. |
When the rainy season arrives in November though, a completely different environment materializes. Four months of torrential rainfall transforms what was once a shallow stream into a raging river that is impassable by foot between the months of December and March. Crocodiles swarm the watery haven and fast flowing water makes swimming too dangerous. Those that can afford it can pay to take a small dugout canoe across, but the fee charged by the boat’s owner is extremely high (between 50 to 100 metacais, or $2-$3).
There is one other point along the river that can be crossed by using a road bridge, but for those on the far side of the river, it can take between 3-4 hours to reach the city of Montepuez by foot, where they can access a semi-functional hospital, secondary schools, a diverse market and the main transportation hub. Unless the villagers choose to walk, those who need to cross are unable to do, forcing many of the farmers to abandon their plots and leaving villagers on the far side stranded until the rains subside.
Since my initial visit to Bandar, I’ve returned a handful of times to sit and discuss options for improving the situation with community leaders from each of the three villages. During one such meeting, I learned that building a bridge has always been something they've wanted to do, but haven't been able to because they lack the internal capacity to do so. And from that, our project was born.
Working in partnership, the US Peace Corps, Montepuez District Government, and a Bridge Commission composed of male and female leaders from the three local Villages, intend to build a 35 meter long Pedestrian Footbridge across the Rio Montepuez in the hopes of finally providing an estimated 10,000 direct beneficiaries with a safe means to cross a dangerous river.
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| A Suspended Pedestrian Trail Bridge completed by B2P, and similar in design to the one we hope to build outside of Bandar. |