For residents of the Loita Maasai community in Kenya, the construction of a much-awaited bridge marks the beginning of a new era. One where floods no longer isolate families, children can attend school without anxiety, and medical emergencies are no longer do-or-die life-or-death situations on the riverbank.
For years, seasonal flooding would turn a brief outing into a dangerous journey. In early 2024, when the devastating El Niño rains struck, four people drowned attempting to cross a nearby river. The need was clear, building a bridge could no longer wait!
Christian NGO RedTribe partnered with Bridging the Gap Africa, the local community and key sponsors – including MAF – to complete the project, with MAF flights carrying bridge engineers, stakeholders and materials to the remote location. What would have taken 7-10 hours by road, took only 30 minutes by plane – bringing the right people and materials together to make the vision a reality.
The bridge’s impact was immediately obvious. At the opening ceremony, an entire school walked 22km just to see the structure – the first time they’d ever seen a bridge. The children were nervous at first, but soon overcame their fear and began crossing over, their shouts of laughter carrying across the river.
Older Maasai men, whose entire lives had been inconvenienced by the dangerous river, stood in awe, clearly moved by what this meant for their people’s future.
For MAF Flight Co-ordinator Pamela Yasena, seeing the project site was a life-altering experience.
‘For years, I’ve been sitting behind a desk, co-ordinating flights for RedTribe. I had many calls and emails from them, but had never seen their work in person,’ she explained.
‘When I went there, I was amazed. They now have clean water, a health clinic, a school and economic opportunities. And now, with the bridge, they can go to all these essential services in safety.’
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