Christine Ford '16 Builds a Bridge in Bolivia with Fellow Duke University Students
This summer, 2016 Archmere Academy graduate Christine Ford spent eight weeks in Tablas Monte, Bolivia with four other Duke University students and three University College of London students, working with the non-profit organization, Bridges to Prosperity. Tasked with building an 84 meter pedestrian bridge over the Misión Mayu river, Christine reflects on her time spent in Bolivia and her use of the Spanish language. Bridges to Prosperity helps isolated communities create access to essential health care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers. Christine's adventures are also chronicled on the World Languages and Cultures Alumni Highlights Bulletin Board in St. Norbert Hall. She currently attends Duke University and is studying Mechanical Engineering.
Reflections from Christine Ford '16:
For eight weeks during the summer of 2018, I had the opportunity to live in Tablas Monte, Bolivia to build an 84 meter pedestrian bridge over the Misión Mayu river. Our team of four Duke students and three University College of London students worked with the non-profit Bridges to Prosperity to bring the project to fruition. Bridges to Prosperity stresses that every project be collaborative, where the community members learn just as much about the building and maintenance of their bridge as we do. Everyday, I worked alongside the community members mixing concrete, laying stones, and doing hard manual labor. My Spanish skills were put to the test, as I had to expand my vocabulary to include engineering and construction terms. As safety manager, I gave a daily briefing every morning in Spanish.
I am thankful for my Spanish speaking skills, as they allowed me to not only build the bridge safely, but also to bridge relationships between cultures. Without Spanish, I would have forgone the opportunity to make bread with our cook, bargain in the market, play soccer every night, and eat lunch with community members. I made lifelong friendships with Bolivians on this trip, and I still stay in contact with them now. They even taught me Quechua, which is the indigenous language of the Incan people that is still spoken in Tablas Monte.
Upon completion of the bridge, a huge inauguration party was held, and the community members expressed their gratitude for the bridge. This bridge will be essential in helping community members cross the river during the rainy season, allowing for greater access to farmlands and other destinations previously too difficult to reach. I am grateful for the eight weeks I spent learning about the engineering process, interacting with the community of Tablas Monte, improving my Spanish, and redefining what is most important to me.
Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
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