NEW BRIDGE TO TRANSFORM A COMMUNITY

Canchias bridge almost done

On May 2^nd of 2011 a new vehicle bridge was completed near Canchias , the small community where HTH’s discipleship school and volunteer work team compound are located.  The bridge is designed to be more than just a convenience, but a mechanism by which year-round access will now be provided over the Yure River to nutritional food and dairy products for all area families.  It will also provide opportunity for land ownership, small business development, and a sustainable productive life in this mountainous village.

Planning for the bridge all started in 2008 when Gordon Garrett, HTH President, and Scott Eshleman, Bridge Engineer from Chicago, met during a talk Gordon was giving at Scott’s church, Living Springs Community Church, in Chicago.  After Scott had noted to Gordon that he had a passion for building bridges and had just completed a bridge project deep in a Guatemalan jungle for eight Mayan tribes, Gordon informed him that there was in fact a need for a vehicle bridge in the community of Canchias.  Scott learned that the people in Canchias represent some of the poorest of the poor in Honduras and that lack of a nutritious diet had left many with stunted growth.  This was not just about being short, but about limited brain function leading to an inability to do well in school and thereby keeping many from finding family supporting jobs, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

To reverse this trend HTH had purchased over 110 acres of fertile land near Canchias for the community’s agricultural use.  They then built a dairy farm on the property to provide area children with nutrient-rich milk and dairy products. However, the land was separated from the community by the Yure River, a water way that becomes impassable during frequent flash flood events.  The farm and dairy land was only accessible via a rope and timber-slat swinging footbridge or by wading thru the river when water levels were low. Therefore, crossing the Yure River in this way was dangerous, unstable and unsafe for transportation of goods and people to and from the farm.  Gordon noted that a stable vehicle bridge is what was really needed.

Scott, who volunteers with the Chicagoland Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, EWB-CPC, had responded to this conversation with President Gordon by bringing this project to his group, who later adopted it as their own.  Scott and his EWB teams visited Canchias three times to meet with the community, assess their needs, survey the site, and lay the groundwork for the project.

In 2010, preliminary EWB implementation teams visited Canchias to lay the planned 108 foot long bridge’s north foundation and pour 56 precast deck panels which were later used to span the bridge’s 8 spans.  In mid-February of 2011, the first of 7 EWB teams arrived to start the final phase of bridge construction.  In all, over 50 EWB volunteers worked on this project between mid-February and early May.

Tasks that were completed by the implementation teams included purchase and delivery of construction materials, carpentry work for concrete forms, rebar cutting and bending, concrete mixing and pouring, and installing precast concrete panels.   The challenging part was that just about all work will be done without the use of modern construction equipment such as concrete trucks supplying premixed concrete, cranes, heavy earth moving equipment, etc.  Instead, these volunteers mixed over 400 bags of cement, stone and rock, cut over 20,000 pounds of rebar with a chop saw and bent them by hand, moved rocks by hand and with a small backhoe, and transported concrete by wheelbarrow and bucket.

“All this work reminded me of when I was a kid and used to build forts in my back yard with my friends, loosing track of time and coming in the house late at night, covered in mud, tired, and smiling ear to ear!” said Scott.

As to why go to all this effort for such a project, Scott notes:

“As a believer in Jesus Christ, living out my faith by using the talents and abilities God has given me in bringing

HTH Staff and EWB-CPC Group on almost completed bridge

together people of all walks of life under the central purpose of loving my neighbor is why God put me on this earth.  I’m thankful the project was completed with all team members coming home safe, no incidents with the squatters or no rain relays.  We had a wonderful time getting to know the community, HTH School of Discipleship staff, and are most grateful for the assistance of Luis, Naldo and Mario.  We are now looking forward to a community celebration probably sometime in August.”