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BE A BRIDGETO A BETTER WORLD

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER

Many years ago, while surveying a potential bridge site for a community northwestern Kenya, BtGAs Sylvester Ouko had the opportunity to

peak with a poor Pokot mother. She told him her tragic story of losinger infant to a flooded river. She was walking home from the weekly

market, and had to cross a make-shift log bridge. She had her baby tiedo her back as all Pokot mothers traditionally do. While climbing on allours on the slippery bridge she felt her sling loosen and froze with fear.er husband was standing on the bank of the river, but before he couldet to her, the baby fell into the river, was caught in the fast movingurrent, and sadly drowned. Her husband saw her anguish and shock,nd called out to her, Everything is ok because he was afraid he wasoing to lose his wife too. Eventually, the two of them were able to cross

he log bridge, but lost their precious child in the process. This is one ofmany tragic stories that happen in Kenya, and around the world for poor

olated communities.

hese indigent rural Africans live in a walking world, and unlike mosteople in America, there is no transportation available to take them to

market, to school, or to work they depend on their feet. The terrainoften hilly, and due to runoff from the mountains, rivers can go from

eing calm and placid to a raging, thundering wall of water in an instantfter a rainstorm. Some rivers also have crocodile and hippopotamus,oth of which can be deadly. As I was thinking about a logo for BtGA, Iouldnt help but remember this mothers heartbreaking story. I askedhe graphic artist to create the image of a young mother with her babyecured to her back crossing a BtGA bridge with someone on the oth-r side, waiting for her as the sun rises. The image summarizes BtGAs

mission statement: Bridging the Gap Africa is dedicated to saving lives andmproving the quality of life for rural African communities by constructingedestrian footbridges that provide safe passage and promote access toducation, healthcare, and economic opportunity. BtGAs overriding goal

is to build bridges for marginalized communities so that many livebe saved from drowning, and lives will be improved by easier accelifes necessities.

I wanted to share the story behind our logo to inspire you to imahow many lives and communities have been immeasurably improbecause of the bridges BtGA has built. Many rural communities have safe passage to the markets, schools, doctors, and work regless of the condition of the river. There are thousands of communin Africa who could benefit from a simple footbridge, and its Btfervent desire to do all we can to meet this need. Building bridsaves and transforms lives. I personally believe we all have the optunity to be a bridge. Apart from physical bridges, there are bridghope, bridges of peace, and bridges of love. As founder of BtGA, Idto invite YOU to be A Bridge to a Better World by joining us to thousands of people who live in walking world.

Sincerely,Harmon Parker (Founder: Bridging the Gap, Africa)

www.bridgingthegapafrica.org

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Bloss. Following the completion of the Jack Aknin Memorial Bridgenew field engineer Nate Bloss, managed design and construction onew suspended bridges; in April he broke ground on our first brid

Tanzania, and in August construction began on our longest suspebridge yet (170 feet). Both bridges are set to open next month. Mr. has also been working with a fellow Peace Corps Civil Engineer ondevelopment for our first bridge in Mozambique. In addition to tfour bridges, weve began site development for our new short suspension bridge design; this design is being completed by MatBowser and his team of engineers at McCormick Rankin. We expeuse this design in the first of many short span suspension bridgeginning mid next year. The design will allow us to economically ada broader range of bridge sites.In recent years Bridging the Gap Africa has come to realize new lenges facing bridge builders in Kenya. Deforestation, populatiopansion, and a lack of conservation practices around East Africproducing record floods unlike any seen before. New bridges will to be designed accordingly and past bridges will need to be proteOur field engineer, Mr. Bloss, has been working closely with HarParker and Andrew Mitchell (Bridging the Gap Africas summer into develop innovative and economical concepts to meet these challenges. Additionally, having an engineer in the field has alloour organization to incorporate new engineering techniques neto face these new obstacles. Concept development and implemetion has begun to address issues such as erosion control, construquality control, soil strength testing, more efficient fabrication plonger lasting deck designs, and new approach designs. Numerou

inspections of past bridges has helped us understand what will nebe done to allow our bridges to stand up to the new challenges faour changing world.

Over the past year Bridging the Gap Africa has worked diligently to-wards making our designs and ideas a reality in the field. Numerousgroups and individuals have made this possible by providing newperspectives, insights and innovations to the way we build bridges.The end product has resulted in a redesign and implementation ofour standard anchor and tower system which now produces a more

conomical and safer bridge, and the development of new conceptshat will improve the life span and quality of future bridges. Over the

past year weve been able to implement this design on three of ourongest suspended bridges to date. On January 23rd, 2013 we cel-brated the opening of the Jack Aknin Memorial Bridge; a 135 feet

uspended bridge that serves Masai communities on the edge of theMasai Mara Game Reserve. Design was done by Kelley Rehm, andonstruction carried out by Kelley Rehm, Harmon Parker, and Nate

FROM THE FIELD - Nate Bloss

Professor Jerome OConnor, a structural andarthquake engineer at the University at

Buffalo gave his senior structural design stu-dents a special task this past semester. His

goal for them was to not only complete hisourse, but also to give back to the communi-y. He partnered with Bridging the Gap AfricaBtGA) to give his students a learning experi-nce unlike other assignments. During theirpring semester, the students were asked to

provide designs and technical informationo help improve BtGAs bridges. Professor

OConnor asked his students to design a foot-bridge that could be used to cross the manyavines in rural Kenya prone to flash flooding.

OConnor, who manages UBs bridge engi-neering program and works for MCEER, theuniversitys earthquake and extreme events

esearch center, came up with the idea afterhearing a presentation about BtGA given byKelley Rehm, a member of BtGAs ExecutiveBoard. His discussion with Ms. Rehm abouthis UB students resulted in a valuable part-nership that saves lives while giving studentspractical experience. I decided if the studentswere going to go through the trouble to de-ign something, it may as well be something

that will actually be built and provide a ben-efit to people, said OConnor. Twenty-fourstudents working in teams of six, presentednew ideas and proposed updates for BtGAs

typical suspended or hanging bridge.

The students are raising money to fund thebridges construction, which will cost about$20,000. They are also raising additionalfunds for travel to Africa to help build thebridge they designed. In April, at the NationalSeismic Conference for Bridge Engineeringheld in Oakland, California, OConnor madearrangements for BtGA to be the featuredpublic charity. Senior students who workedon the bridge design provided attendeeswith information about BtGA and raisedover $2,000 toward the construction. I feltthis was both an enriching and rewarding

experience, said Garrett Miller, a studentwho worked on the bridge design. Graduatestudents will continue working directly withBtGA to compile all of the students work intoa manual. The partnership has been a greatexperience for both students and BtGA. BtGAhopes to continue its relationship with UBand other universities in the future.

UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO STUDENTS PROVIDE TECHNICAL DESIGNS

AND RAISE FUNDING KELLEY REHM

BE A BRIDGE TO A BETTER WORLD

WWW.BRIDGINGTHEGAPAFRICA.ORG

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he board of directors of Bridging the GapAfrica began discussing the possibility of in-roducing a Donor of the Year honor to rec-

ognize a group or person who goes abovend beyond to help BtGA achieve its mission.he board began discussing the characteris-ics of this distinction and opened up the dis-ussion for nominations.

here was unanimous approval by the boardo name Tom Clark as the first Donor of the

Year. Tom has been an active leader, a gen-

erous donor, and supporter of BtGA since itsvery beginning. His giving spirit is the abso-lute definition of what we as a board of direc-tors hope all future recipients possess. Tomhas served on the board for the past 10 yearsand has provided the administrative over-sight that has allowed BtGA to remain largelya volunteer organization. He has substantial-ly contributed of his finances to BtGA everyyear along the way. We are very proud to be-stow this honor on Tom and offer our sincerethanks for all that he does for BtGA.

BtGADONOR OFTHE YEAR:

TOM CLARK

he second annual BtGA Golf Classic was a huge success and gener-

ted more than $25,000 that will help build more life-saving bridg-

s in Kenya! Although the day started off with a few rain showers,he resident golf Pro sent all the golfers off to their tee-boxes for

he 9:00AM shotgun start. Its worth noting that the winning teamhot an incredible 58 in the best-ball competition! Everyone had a

reat day on the course and is looking forward to next years tour-ament. The BtGA Board of directors want to sincerely thank The

urger Joint Company for being the primary sponsor of $10,000 forhis years event. The Board is also very grateful to all the sponsorsnd players for their generous support in helping us achieve our

undraising goals. Fundraising events are hard work and cannot beuccessful without passionate and skilled leadership. BtGA Board

member Steve Parker, and his wife Monica, went beyond the call ofuty to organize and host this years golf classic. We especially want

o thank them for overseeing this outstanding event -- Steve andMonica are without doubt a Bridge to a Better World.

IN A WALKING

WORLD, 1 SIMPLE

BRIDGE PROVIDES

100safe crossins per da

700safe crossins per wee

36,400safe crossins per yea

546,000safe crossins over 15 yea

BE A

BRIDGE

TO A

BETTER

WORLD

www.bridgingthegapafrica.org