From Vision to Impact: Rutgers Engineers in Action Student Chapter Bring Change to Eswatini

By Mikhail Velez, Communications Coordinator

Across Eswatini’s rural landscape, geography often dictates opportunity. Rivers that swell during rainy seasons can separate families from schools, healthcare, and markets, making daily routines unpredictable and sometimes unsafe. In the three years before the Imphumelelo Footbridge was completed, five people tragically lost their lives and ten were injured attempting to cross during floods. To help address this challenge, volunteers from the Engineers in Action chapter at Rutgers University joined with other students from the University of Iowa, Hofstra University, and Northwestern University, during the summer of 2025, living and working alongside local communities to build the Imphumelelo Footbridge. Each student chapter is responsible for raising the funds needed to purchase construction materials, making the project both a test of resourcefulness and commitment. For Rutgers students, the experience offered not only the chance to apply technical skills in the field, but also invaluable hands-on learning that deepened their understanding of engineering in practice.

At 108 meters long, the Imphumelelo Footbridge is the second longest bridge completed by the Rutgers Chapter in Eswatini, a small, landlocked country in Southern Africa, funded in part by the Microprojects Programme and constructed through the nonprofit Engineers in Action. Now providing safe, year‑round access for more than 1,320 people, the bridge drastically reduces travel distances to healthcare and schools, while standing as a testament to Rutgers students’ commitment to connecting communities and expanding opportunity.

This video offers a glimpse into the construction process itself, showing how the Rutgers Engineers in Action Chapter worked alongside community members in Eswatini to bring the bridge to life. Viewers can see the challenges that arose, the teamwork that solved them, and the collaborative spirit that carried the project from planning to completion:

Strength in Collaboration: Building the Imphumelelo Footbridge

The Imphumelelo Footbridge was the result of four months of careful preplanning and two months of intensive construction in southern Eswatini. This was the farthest site Engineers in Action has worked on, located nearly three hours by car from the nearest city. The remote setting added complexity to the project, but it also underscored the importance of building a reliable crossing for the communities who would depend on it.

Construction was not without its challenges. When hoisting the suspension cables, the team’s winch broke because it was old and rusted. With the guidance of local masons, students improvised solutions, even resorting to manually knocking the cables to adjust their height. On anchor pouring day, when several batches of concrete were poured to secure the massive blocks through which the cables run, shifting wood supports forced the team to pause, reassess, and slightly reduce the bearing load to ensure stability. Concrete mixing also presented difficulties, since batches sometimes contained too much water.

Rutgers Engineers in Action Co-President, Ula Sokolowski devised a practical solution: mixing gravel, sand, and cement without water, then combining it with the wetter batch to achieve the correct ratio. Reflecting on the experience, Ula noted, “Much of engineering happens behind a desk, but being on site and contributing directly to the build was a completely different experience. Learning how to do every part of the process was not only valuable, but genuinely fun.”

Aito Sterle, who served as a Quality Control Manager on Rutgers project in the previous year, the project was equally transformative. Aito explained, “The experience completely changed my engineering mindset. Traveling gave me a new perspective on life and exposed me to a whole variety of problems that required creative solutions. As a quality control manager, I was able to dive into the nitty‑gritty of bridge building and really understand the ins and outs of the process. Even though we weren’t part of the initial design, we felt connected to it on site — documenting each step, taking precise measurements, and ensuring everything was engineered to a T. It opened my eyes to how engineering truly works in the real world.”

The process was a full collaborative effort between students and community members: mixing concrete, sifting sand, moving rocks, and passing buckets of concrete down long human chains. Local masons built walls from stone, while students documented each step and checked measurements to ensure precision. For many community members, the project offered not only a chance to contribute to lasting infrastructure, but also meaningful daily work in a region where jobs are scarce.

The bridge’s completion was celebrated not only by the Rutgers team and local residents, but also by community leaders. At the handover ceremony, MP David Ngcamphalala of Qomintaba emphasized the power of collaboration, stating, “Nothing is impossible when people work together.”

Engineers in Action Program Manager Ana Jovanovic echoed this sentiment, describing the Imphumelelo Footbridge as “a promise of safety, opportunity, and connection. It will save lives, open access to healthcare, and help the next generation reach their classrooms without fear.”

Local leaders also looked ahead to future development. Bucopho of Sigwe expressed gratitude to the Microprojects Programme and appealed for continued support, noting that the dedication of Members of Parliament, Indvuna Yenkhundla, and community leaders gave him confidence that more projects would follow in Qomintaba and Matsanjeni South.

These reflections, reported in the Africa-Press – Eswatini, highlight how the Imphumelelo Footbridge was not only a technical achievement but also a symbol of partnership, resilience, and hope for the communities it serves.

Life with the Community

Beyond construction, the Rutgers Engineers in Action team immersed themselves in local life. Prior to travel, students studied language and cultural traditions with the help of a Cultural Relationships Manager, preparing them to build genuine connections. Once in Eswatini, those connections flourished. Community members welcomed the students warmly, eager to share experiences and perspectives.

Every Saturday, soccer matches and games brought students and residents together. Music often filled the downtime at the construction site, with dance becoming a universal language that bridged cultural and linguistic gaps. Families opened their homes to the volunteers, with one household affectionately adopting the students for the duration of their stay.

For Rutgers students, these relationships were as impactful as the bridge itself. The project was not only about engineering a structure, but also about building trust, friendship, and mutual respect across cultures.

How You Can Help Support Engineers in Action Chapter at Rutgers

Engineers in Action began in 2009 as an international nonprofit dedicated to connecting isolated communities to essential resources through sustainable infrastructure projects. Originally linked with the Bridges to Prosperity program, Engineers in Action has expanded its mission to include not only footbridges, but also water and sanitation systems that empower underserved communities. Student chapters across the United States and Canada have played a vital role in advancing this mission, gaining hands-on engineering experience while helping communities overcome barriers to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.

To continue building bridges and expanding access to vital resources, Engineers in Action relies on donations. Contributions directly fund materials, logistics, and training that make future projects possible. Supporting Engineers in Action means helping students like those from Rutgers bring their skills to communities in need, while ensuring that families around the world can safely reach schools, hospitals, and markets. For more information check out the chapters Linktree. Readers who wish to make a difference are encouraged to consider donating to the Rutgers Engineers in Action Chapter at their year end campaign or their main donation page and become part of the effort to bridge divides and expand opportunity.

• Engineering
• Environmental Action
• Environmental Education