Rural Access
Lack of transport infrastructure makes it virtually impossible for the poor to escape the poverty trap. Every year, we help around 492,000 people get better access to markets, schools, and hospitals.
Why rural access matters
Transport access plays a vital role in facilitating economic development. in Ethiopia 95% of the movement of people and goods are still carried out by road transport. Considering the very low road infrastructure development and the high construction costs of roads, especially in remote rural areas with very rugged terrain, the trail bridge technology has become an important complement to the country’s endeavours in providing basic infrastructure access to the rural community.
A crossing over Abay River, Amhara Region,
Our work
The Trail Bridge Capacity Building Programme (TBCBP) has focused on bridge construction across the nation. Later, the project started focussing specifically on the institutional strengthening and capacity development of its various partners. This approach envisioned transforming TBCBP from “bridge builders” to “institutional capacity builders or trainers”. Main implementation modality of TBCBP is planning and implementation of trail bridge projects through public-private partnerships.
Our Expertise
Helvetas’ approach builds on 60 years of experience in the sector: from constructing a bridge to developing a sector-wide approach. Our multilingual Rural Access team provides advisory services both to Helvetas and external clients.
