Residents along the rivers Turubwa and Bundri in Mundri West County are rejoicing, and why would they not? Thanks to two new bridges, they are no longer forced to cross sometimes flooded overpasses on foot.
“We used to fall into the water with our cassava flour and other crops on our way to the market, but now we feel safe and relieved,” said local farmer Mary Samiah, commenting on the two shining pieces of infrastructure financed by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and built, over the last three months, by the Hope Alive Educational Foundation.
Not only markets but also healthcare facilities, friends and schools are now significantly easier to reach for the good people of Mundri West, who are expected to enjoy a commercial boom, improved livelihoods and classes starting on time as dividends of the two multidirectional bridges.
“As students, we would often find ourselves stranded at school due to the flooded river, sometimes resulting in getting home late, much to the ire of our parents. We had no choice but to remove our shoes and clothes in order to cross the water,” explained 16-year-old Victoria Wilson, a student at the Ezra Baya Primary School, confirming that delays would at times occur traversing in the other direction as well.
Peacekeepers, humanitarian partners, security forces and rescue personnel are also benefitting from the improved road connections.
“These connections greatly improve service delivery and the swift deployment of security and emergency responses,” said Zelipha Dawa, the Mundri West County Commissioner.
Increased mobility, not least the way it can bring people together, is something that Thomas Bazawi, a representative of the peacekeeping mission, is also a fan of.
“These initiatives all contribute to achieving lasting peace in Western Equatoria and in South Sudan as a whole, and that is, at the end of the day, our top priority,” he said.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
