Adventure Awaits: Meet our 2023 Bridges to Prosperity Rwanda Team

We’re partnering with Bridges to Prosperity for our second bridge-building project in Rwanda. With nearly 140 applicants, we’re excited to announce the final 10 people who were selected to participate in this exciting and impactful project. Watch the video to see their reactions to receiving the good news!

What are we doing?

We’re working with the nonprofit Bridges to Prosperity, an organization that builds footbridges all over the world to help end poverty due to rural isolation. As the rainy season in Western Rwanda comes to an end, it’s the perfect opportunity to partner with the Tigano community to build a footbridge across the Kamiranzomvu River so residents can safely access critical resources.

The team selected will be stationed in a local village for two weeks in July, when the weather is dry. As they work together to build a local footbridge, they will be immersed within the community, living and working alongside local community members while exchanging cultural and technical skills.

Who is helping?

We selected a team of people from all over the world, representing our lines of business, operating units and corporate functions. Tim Duncan, a return member will help show the team the ropes and work closely with team leads Jessie Gerwien, Luis Ruiz Gonzalez, Patrick Moore, Sandrine Kirk and Maria Rolling who are responsible for organizing the team in terms of overall project management, logistics, construction, safety, and communication respectively. Douglas Flynn, Yasmin Khan, Jen Parlato and Chris Williamson are supporting team members with Naseem Razi selected as an alternate support team member. Additionally, Shelie Gustafson and Shannon Miller will serve as executive sponsors and will each be visiting for one week and working alongside the team and meeting members of the community.

In the next few months, we’ll be sharing more one-on-one interviews with the team members, providing virtual volunteering opportunities and launching fundraising efforts to further drive impact toward this incredible cause. Stay tuned!