KaZenzele, Godloza, Eswatini

The KaZenzele suspended footbridge was a six-week long project in the village of Godloza, eSwatini. This project was done in collaboration with the University of Iowa and the Virginia Institute of Technology (Virginia Tech). The bridge has a span of 658 meters and now serves over 8,000 individuals in that area. 

As soon as we met the rest of the KaZenzele team in eSwatini, we knew that our team would have amazing teamwork and synergy, with everyone bonding quickly and getting to know each other over the first couple days. When we arrived in the village of Godloza, we learned how hospitable the emaSwati are. Even on the first day, the Simelane homestead treated us as their own. During work, the community worked enthusiastically alongside us and taught us simple phrases in siSwati, while we taught them phrases in English. It was thanks to the camaraderie and energy of the community that we were able to finish construction early, and it made it a truly enriching experience.

As with all projects, there were still obstacles that needed to be faced. Throughout our six weeks there, we faced construction delays, material shortages, and minor team conflicts, all of which taught us invaluable skills that could not be learned in a traditional classroom setting. In six weeks, our students learned how to wield numerous construction tools, solve engineering problems resourcefully, adapt to cultural differences and language barriers, and many more.