Three Western Engineering students traveled to Eswatini last summer, contributing their skills to improve access to schools, healthcare, farmland and employment from a rural community in the southern African country. Their mission? To design and construct an 83-metre-long suspended footbridge that would change the lives of thousands.
Members of Western Engineers in Action (WEIA) spent eight weeks in the Shiselweni region of Eswatini, constructing a footbridge over the Phongolane River. Previously, the river would flood during the rainy season, cutting off access and forcing locals to make dangerous crossings. Now, with the Elubaneni bridge complete, over 7,000 residents have safe, reliable access to essential services year-round, increasing their safety and quality of life.
The Western team was involved from the project’s inception, beginning in December 2023. During the school year, WEIA students worked closely with peers from two other universities and professional engineers to design a practical, cost-effective bridge. They contributed to every aspect – from creating design drawings and ordering materials to developing detailed construction plans, ensuring a smooth process on the ground.
Once in Eswatini, the team tackled everything from excavation to cable hoisting and decking installation. They led daily construction schedules, conducted quality control checks and ensured the project adhered to design specifications. Working closely with the local community and Engineers in Action staff, they provided hands-on engineering and construction support that made the project a success.
But the project wasn’t just about construction. It was a cultural exchange, with the students immersing themselves in Eswatini’s local customs. There was also a lifestyle adjustment – living without running water and with limited electricity in a rural area – that was challenging but one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. It allowed the team to connect deeply with the community they were serving and gain a unique perspective on life in a different part of the world.
Julianna Quondamatteo, a fourth-year integrated engineering student, was part of the Eswatini team, along with Jack Guilfoyle, a second-year civil engineering student and Dan Ndabihayimana, a fourth-year civil engineering and artificial intelligence systems engineering student. Western News caught up with the trio to learn more about their life-changing experience.
Western News: What is Western Engineers in Action?
Julianna Quondamatteo: Western Engineers in Action is a university chapter of the non-profit Engineers in Action (EIA), whose mission is to connect students with real-world civil engineering projects that make a meaningful impact. Each year, WEIA works to fund, design and build a new footbridge to provide isolated communities with safe access to essential services and opportunities. To date, Western Engineering students have helped construct seven footbridges in Eswatini and Bolivia, while EIA and its partners have built over 100 footbridges worldwide.
What was it like to learn and apply your engineering training in a different country?
Dan Ndabihayimana: Having the chance to apply classroom learning to a real-world project so early in our engineering careers was an incredible and invaluable experience. Many engineers don’t get to lead a project until years into their careers, but we were responsible for everything from initial design drawings all the way to the bridge’s inauguration. While classroom work is often theoretical, this project allowed us to witness firsthand how those plans can transform into a real piece of infrastructure.
Many concepts and theorems that often seem abstract in the classroom became much clearer when given the opportunity to be applied in practice. For instance, while designing the bridge, the significance of principles like the factor of safety and different design states for serviceability and failure became evident. We also began to develop a sense of design, enabling us to anticipate adjustments for improved safety and constructability.
Ultimately, it was incredibly encouraging and rewarding to see the theory we had learned come to life in such a meaningful and impactful project.
What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome?
JQ: Adjusting to life in a completely new environment was certainly a challenge. We lived with the locals, slept on sleeping mats and had no running water. Adapting to the local cuisine, managing limited access to clean water and learning to do laundry by hand were all part of the experience! On top of that, our project was in an especially remote location. We were about 1.5 hours from the nearest full grocery store, so we had to plan ahead and stock up on food for weeks at a time.
Jack Guilfoyle: Our remote location also posed challenges regarding our build schedule, particularly with material deliveries, which were often delayed. As the project progressed, we were able to overcome this by improving our ability to forecast material needs and placing orders in advance. Though this was not something we were used to in North America, it gave us valuable insight into the challenges associated with building infrastructure in developing countries.
How are non-profit projects like this possible?
JQ: Nonprofit projects like this are possible with the help of sponsors and donations. Our team was lucky to have incredible sponsors this year, who allowed the three of us to go overseas and work alongside incredible people to build this bridge. We would like to take a moment to thank our amazing sponsors: Western Engineering, Reinforced Earth, AVL Manufacturing Inc. and Edison Engineers Inc.
How did it feel to see the bridge come to life?
JQ: Seeing the bridge come to life is something I cannot put into words. For eight weeks, we settled into a routine of going to the site and working on one task after another. It wasn’t until the final inauguration that we truly grasped the scale of what we had built and saw how all the small tasks had come together to create something incredible. Watching the community use the bridge for the first time was incredibly emotional and fulfilling as I began to realize I had been part of something truly life-changing. Recognizing that the kids would no longer have to miss school or that the community would now have year-round access to medical care was empowering. It was hard to fully wrap my head around the fact I had the privilege of being part of something so special.
DN: It was an overwhelming feeling in a positive sense. I felt proud of the hard work we had put into making this bridge a reality. I was also overcome with humility, realizing the incredible privilege of being a part of a project so impactful – hearing from and seeing in the community what it meant to solve a problem that had been tormenting them for many years.
JG: Seeing the community cross the bridge for the first time was such an uplifting experience. Every single community member had the largest smile on their face as they crossed their bridge, knowing that they would no longer need to make dangerous crossings to attend school, work or healthcare appointments. Up until this point, I didn’t fully appreciate quite how impactful our work had been. On inauguration day, however, when community members began coming up to thank the student team, I fully understood how important this bridge is to all the locals and how it will change their lives for the better.
For those considering experiential learning experiences abroad, what advice would you have?
JQ: 100 per cent do it! It can be a bit nerve-wracking to go abroad into an unfamiliar environment, but it is so worth it. Travelling and experiencing new cultures is one of the best forms of learning. Having the opportunity to fully live and immerse yourself in a new culture for an extended period is a unique experience that is absolutely life-changing. Be open-minded and have fun.
DN: I’ve come to believe there are innumerable benefits to being a part of experiential learning opportunities. There are many life lessons that others are unlikely to ever learn without going abroad and learning to see life through a different lens. Your sense of purpose, empathy and community are all bound to grow as you learn to work with many different people to achieve a common purpose. But all this is only possible if you bring an open mind and positive attitude to all the challenges that are sure to present themselves. I would also advise you not to get too discouraged when things don’t go exactly how you imagined them to go but to be open to a different yet still amazing story to be written.
