Bridge Update #1

Bridge building has begun!

Thank you so much to all those who contributed to the bridge project. We reached our $10,000 goal with the support of 226 contributors and an average donation size of $44. What a tremendous group effort to build this bridge!

Here is the first bridge update with photos:

1. Community Meeting
We held a community-wide meeting to plan bridge construction. In the meeting we selected the official construction manager from within the town, and we created a work schedule for each day of the week. 4-7 men of the community have volunteered their labor for each day, Monday-Saturday.

Members of the community gather.

Town members discuss plans for bridge construction, management, and timeline.

I explain how we raised funds with contributions from so many different people interested in the project.

Work schedule on the door of the pulperia (town store).

2. Buying Materials
Next we traveled to a construction warehouse in the nearest town (1.5 hours) to purchase the first round of materials. We bought 300 sacks of cement, 200 iron re-bars, nails, wire, sand for cement mixing, and other miscellaneous materials for a total of $5912.

Reviewing our list and budget.

Surveying the prices.

300 sacks of cement!

2 types of iron re-bar.

Loading the truck.

Displaying our receipts!

3. Starting Construction
Materials were delivered to the town, and the first stages of bridge construction have begun. The first step was to prepare all iron re-bar and mix cement to raise the bastions on either side of the bridge by approximately 2 feet. This higher level will protect the bridge against future flooding. The cement bastions on either side of the bridge are now complete, and the town is awaiting heavy machinery to dredge the river to prepare for the next stage of construction.

First truck arriving in the rain.

Getting ready to unload.

Unloading the cement. (All the men were very worried about me carrying this!)

Work Day 1: Preparing the iron re-bar.

Getting ready to raise the cement bastion by 2 feet.

Building the wooden mold.

Ready to fill.

Students cross the makeshift bridge on their daily trip back from school.

Work Day 2: Sand delivery arrives.

Mixing cement.

First wheelbarrow-full.

Raising the bastion!

Adding rocks.

Happy onlookers.

Coffee break!

Work Day 3: Preparing side #2.

Transporting cement with a little help.

Filling up side #2.

All full.

Bastion #1 raised and dry.

Next step: waiting for heavy machinery to arrive and dredge the river to remove the large boulders.

And I head home after stage 1 of bridge building to pursue my NYC Teach for America commitments.

But I'll be back to Costa Rica soon to oversee the end of construction and cross the finished bridge!! Very exciting...