WHAT’S NEWS IN ROSS TOWNSHIP
THREE PITTSBURGH-
AREA COLLEGE
STUDENTS TRAVEL TO
KUMUSENYI, RWANDA,
TO BUILD A SUSPENSION
BRIDGE
The Pennsylvania State University (PSU)
chapter of Bridges to Prosperity (B2P)
recently completed the construction of a
200-foot long suspension bridge in a rural
community in the Muhanga District of
Rwanda, Africa. The team of eight PSU
student engineers included three women—
all from the Pittsburgh area and all pursuing
engineering degrees at Penn State’s main
campus. They were:
• Lauren Donatelli of West View/Ross,
Architectural Engineering, graduating
2019. High School: Vincentian Academy.
• Gracie Daigle of Fineview, Civil
Engineering, graduating 2019. North Side
High School: Oakland Catholic.
• Abby Cowser of Bethel Park, Civil
Engineering, graduating 2020. High
School: Bethel Park High School.
Now complete, this bridge will serve about
8,500 people in the vicinities of Gitega and
Ryakanimba. These rural communities are
isolated during five months of the year and the
completed bridge will provide them with safe
and easy access to health care, education and
much more. The bridge took approximately
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eight weeks to complete, from mid-April to
mid-June. Armed with safety equipment, the
proper vaccines and the necessary materials,
the team brought with them a project plan, a
budget and a schedule—the result of intense
preparation prior to the trip. The team was
fortunate to have the support of local workers
from nearby communities, who started each
day with a song of prayer. The students were
housed about an hour’s walk away from the
job site and traveled by foot each way to
begin and end their lengthy work day. They
had the benefit of a cook and a translator,
but had little or no access to electricity, clean
water, refrigeration or Wi-Fi during their stay.
On weekends, they were able to find some
time off to explore the country, the customs,
environment, and people.
“We tried to bring a bit of Pittsburgh along
with us, and the Terrible Towel made a few
site appearances,” notes Donatelli, who served
as the team’s construction manager. “From
a cultural perspective, the project was quite
enlightening. It was a rewarding learning
experience I will never forget. These families
have so little and they were grateful to have
this new avenue for easy access to schools and
medical care.”
Since the inception of PSU’s Bridges to
Prosperity Chapter in the spring of 2013, the
team has sent student representatives to build
similar bridges in Panama, specifically in the
communities of Tucuecito and La Candelaria.
They are guided by both B2P leadership
and technical advisors on the national level,
as well as faculty advisors and sponsoring
private companies. Past local sponsors have