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Building Bridges in Yunnan Province

A group of four women who participated in an Environmental Action Program training in Yunnan Province wasted no time in putting what they had studied into action.  One of the features at the end of the Environmental Action Program course is that participants form small teams and make action plans, drawing on the concepts they have studied in the course. The team consults on the needs of the village and takes action together that will contribute to the betterment of the local community.  This group of four participants consulted about the circumstances of their village and noted that in their village, there is a river that separates it from the many fields on the other side. The villagers have to work in the fields every day, but because there was no bridge across the river, they had to make a long detour around the river to get to the other side. For the four team members, this was a clear need but also a challenge, since nobody had tried to do it before.

The four women started to carry out their plan of building a bridge immediately after completing the course. They had to find a way to build a strong stone foundation on either bank, and find thick bamboo for the bridge itself. As they began to work, their dedication and diligence was obvious to all the villagers. Eventually, the men of the village could no longer stand by to watch. Four of the men came to work shoulder to shoulder with the women. Soon, all the villagers came to participate. Finally, everyone was able to witness the fruits of their labors—a strong and useful bridge.