BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE– When rivers swell during the rainy season, they often separate children from their classrooms, patients from healthcare and families from opportunities. Today, that reality is steadily changing as communities across Eswatini roll up their sleeves to help build bridges and water projects that are restoring safe passage, strengthening livelihoods and giving hope to generations to come.
The Deputy Director of the Microprojects Programme, Khetsiwe Simelane, recently led officials from the Microprojects Unit and Engineers in Action (EIA) on a monitoring visit to several ongoing projects, including the Lokhwishi Suspension Footbridge in Ntfonjeni, Manzimbongolo, the Manyovu Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project and Kambhoke. The visit assessed construction progress while recognising the commitment of communities that have become active partners in transforming their own future.
What stood out most during the visit was the determination of local residents working shoulder to shoulder with engineering students from Engineers in Action. Together, they are not only constructing infrastructure but also building trust, sharing knowledge and demonstrating that sustainable development is strongest when communities are directly involved.
The Ministry of Economic Planning and Development welcomed the level of community participation, describing it as a clear reflection of the Microprojects Programme’s people centred approach to development. Rather than simply receiving completed projects, communities are helping to build the infrastructure that will serve them for many years.
This year, the programme is implementing eight suspension footbridges and two water supply projects in different parts of the country. Once completed, these projects will improve access to schools, clinics, markets and other essential services while providing safer river crossings for thousands of emaSwati, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
Beyond improving physical access, the partnership with Engineers in Action continues to create opportunities for skills development and community empowerment. Residents gain practical construction experience while students exchange technical knowledge and work closely with communities to deliver solutions tailored to local needs. The collaborative approach also strengthens community ownership, helping ensure that the infrastructure is maintained long after construction has been completed.
For many families, these projects represent far more than bridges and water systems. They symbolise dignity, safety and opportunity. Every cable secured, every foundation laid and every volunteer effort brings rural communities one step closer to a future where distance and dangerous river crossings are no longer barriers to education, healthcare or economic participation.
As construction advances, the Microprojects Programme continues to demonstrate how partnerships between Government, development organisations and local communities can create lasting change. By investing in infrastructure that responds to people’s everyday needs, the programme is connecting communities, improving lives and laying strong foundations for a more inclusive and prosperous Eswatini.
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(Courtesy Pic)
