Bridging the Gap in Malawi
By Phillip Pemba — 18 March 2016
With funding from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and in partnership with the Swedish Civil Contingency Agency (MSB) and Malawi’s Ministry of Transport and Public Works, WFP is constructing three bailey bridges in Malawi – the first of which has just opened on the Msuwazi river Msuwazi River in Malawi’s southern region is a treacherous waterway for the people of Thyolo and Mulanje districts, cutting off access to critical social services and markets each time the water level rises, and sometimes causing loss of life. When heavy rains inundated southern Malawi in early 2015, Msuwazi River again burst its banks.
“The only big market where we buy our basic necessities including maize is across the river, so when the river is full, we can’t buy food and end up going hungry,” says the village chief, Mr. Gubudu.
For decades, this community of about 15,000 residents has tried to find alternatives to having to wade across the river which is home to crocodiles and other animals. The most recent bridge made from concrete was destroyed by the 2015 floods. After this, the people were unable to regularly access food, medical treatment or send their children to school.
“We’ve had many fatal accidents when the river is full,” says Kesteni Magaleta, a mother of four who lives nearby the river. “And children miss classes for several days at a time.”
Magaleta’s second born child is in his last year of primary school, which is just about 500 metres across the river and would normally be a few minute walk. When the bridge broke, Magaleta was forced to instead send him to a school 5 kilometres away from their village, which was more than an hour’s walk.
The poor infrastructure also restricts humanitarian access to the surrounding community – a real problem last year and during recent months when there is such widespread food insecurity in Malawi. Even some of WFP’s most rugged vehicles are unable to endure the force of the water.
In the aftermath of the 2015 floods, the national Post-Disaster Needs Assessment announced major infrastructure damage, including bridges, valued at US$ 450 million across the country.
With funding from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and in partnership with the Swedish Civil Contingency Agency (MSB) and Malawi’s Ministry of Transport and Public Works, WFP is constructing three bailey bridges in Malawi – the first of which has just opened on Msuwazi River.
A bailey bridge is a portable type of steel structure bridge made up of three main parts - floor, stringers and side panels - that can be erected without use of specialised tools or heavy machinery. Once completed, the bridges will reopen critical access routes for communities, guarantee access for WFP and others needing to reach vulnerable areas as well as facilitate market access which will result in multiple positive effects such as economic development for the surrounding communities.