In rural areas, roads provide communities with access to basic services. These services include: water, education, health and transportation to markets, where farmers can sell their agricultural products. Since local governments receive meager funds, many roads are maintained using the “pick and shovel” method. During the rainy season, many roads, which are bordered by rivers, leave farming families and entire communities stranded.
Basic services in these rural communities are very limited, particularly in the area of health. When a person falls ill, he/she has to travel a great distance in order to reach the nearest health station. This journey entails crossing swollen rivers. These crossings endanger not only the lives of patients but also their families. Moreover, students miss weeks of school until the rivers’ levels go back to normal.
Therefore, this lack of bridges hinders the development and progress of these communities. For many rural residents, the construction of a bridge is a sort of a miracle. The ILAC Mission, in collaboration with foreign and local volunteer workers, supports the erection of these public works. Belén Preparatory School in Miami, Florida and Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York have contributed funds and efforts towards the completion of these bridges.