Duke Engineers for International Development
Nyakuza Suspended Footbridge
A 128 meter suspended footbridge in southern Eswatini serving approximately 3,000 individuals.
Problem Statement
Every year during the rainy season, the Ingwavuma River in the Hosea Inkhundla of Eswatini's Shiselweni region becomes impossible to cross, preventing community members from accessing critical resources. To address this pressing issue, Duke Engineers for International Development (DEID) worked with Engineers in Action (EIA) to design and construct a suspended footbridge crossing the river.
Bridge Impact
128 Meters
The longest suspended footbridge in the country to date
>3,000 Beneficiaries
Improving access to schools, health care, and economic opportunities
Improved Safety
Prior to completion, fatalities occurred nearly annually from river crossing
>50 Volunteers
Students, local masons, and community members collaborated during construction
Result
The Nyakuza footbridge was inaugurated in July 2025 and improves access to medical care, education, and markets for over 3,000 individuals. In my role as construction manager, I managed daily work plans and long term logisitical planning for the project in both English and Siswati, the local language. Collaborating with local experts, other students, and professional engineers in the United States, I worked to adapt design drawings and construction schedules to respond to obstacles and maintain progress onsite despite material and logistical delays.
At the conclusion of the project, I gave a speech to over 200 gathered beneficiaries in Siswati alongside other Duke students to celebrate the bridge's opening. I was honored to be recognized by EIA and my peers at their annual conference in October 2025 for my communication and attitude on site, becoming the first Duke student to be awarded "Emerging Leader of the Year:" awarded to one underclassmen each year who participated on an EIA project.
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