BY SIBUSISEKILE NDLANGAMANDLA
SHISELWENI– About 800 people under Sandleni Inkhundla are set to benefit from the newly handed-over 92-metre Kamzizi Hybrid Footbridge, constructed at a cost of E1.2 million to improve movement along a route used by community members, including schoolchildren.
The footbridge was completed within two months through a partnership between the Microprojects Programme and Engineers in Action, bringing the infrastructure project to completion for use by the Sandleni community.
Microprojects Programme Director Sibusiso Mbingo said the footbridge was designed to respond to the access needs of the community, particularly children who use the route when travelling to and from school.
He said the project demonstrated the importance of partnerships in delivering infrastructure that responds directly to the needs identified within communities. The 92-metre structure provides a dedicated crossing for residents who previously relied on the route to move between different parts of the community and access essential services and facilities.
The project’s completion within two months also marks a relatively short construction period for the community infrastructure intervention, allowing the intended beneficiaries to begin using the facility following its handover.
Mbingo said Engineers in Action had continued to support the implementation of community development projects, contributing to infrastructure initiatives aimed at addressing practical needs in different parts of the country.
The project also received support from students from the United States of America who travelled to Eswatini to participate in the community development initiative. Their involvement provided an opportunity for the students to work directly with local partners and contribute to infrastructure development at community level.
The participation of international students also added a youth component to the project, allowing young people from the United States of America to gain direct experience of community development work in Eswatini.
For the Sandleni community, the completion of the footbridge means residents now have an infrastructure facility specifically provided to improve movement along the route. Schoolchildren are among those expected to benefit from the improved crossing, particularly those who regularly use the route while travelling to and from school.
The project also illustrates how partnerships between government development programmes, non-governmental organisations and international participants can be used to deliver infrastructure at community level.
The Microprojects Programme has been involved in community infrastructure projects aimed at responding to development needs in different parts of the country. The collaboration with Engineers in Action on the Kamzizi project brought together technical and development support to deliver the footbridge within the two-month construction period.
The handover marks the transition of the completed structure to the community and the start of its use by residents who depend on the route. With the bridge now completed, the focus shifts from construction to its continued use by the community, particularly residents and schoolchildren who rely on the crossing as part of their daily movement.
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