EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – Helping children get to school safely and improving access to everyday necessities – that’s what a group of engineering students accomplished in South Africa.
The group spent eight weeks in Eswatini, building South Africa’s largest pedestrian bridge.
USI partnered with a nonprofit organization called Engineers in Action for this project.
Its mission is to connect isolated communities to critical needs such as schools, stores, and health clinics.
Susan Ealy, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, said the project is about more than just building a bridge.
“We shared meals with them. We talked to them every day. We talked about their children. So they just cuddled together, even though they were from different backgrounds. “You’re making an impact on the world just by showing that you can connect in a really meaningful way,” Ely said.
Miguel Pinto, a senior and engineering student at USI, said this is his third year participating in the program.
“The happiness I feel when I finally see my children cross the bridge to go to school is what fills me and brings me back every year,” Pinto said.
Students say they expect the bridge to last 75 years.
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