Trafigura logo

Portraits

Welcome to our series "Portraits" that pays a tribute to the impactful and often visionary work of the organisations we support.

Our "Portraits" tell the true stories of the beneficiaries our partners stand for. By presenting their lives, aspirations and challenges, we want to raise their voices so they can become an example and inspiration for social change.

Dativa, Business woman and mother

Bridges to Prosperity, Rwanda

In a moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams. This Nigerian proverb perfectly suits the visionary work of Bridges to Prosperity (B2P), an NGO building trail bridges in remote communities to help people like Dativa face the multiple challenges of rural isolation.

Dativa is a mother and a business woman who owns a shop and a canteen in Gaseke, Rwanda. In addition to running her business, she is responsible for taking her crops to the market, taking her children to school or the doctor, cooking meals, and gathering water and firewood.

Before the bridge was built in her community, not only the burden of her daily walking limited the time she could spend at her shop or with her family, but the very safety of her commutes was at stake. Simple activities of her daily routine could be life threatening during wet seasons.

“Before the bridge, it would take me one hour to get to the market and when it rained, I would have to turn back, because the river was too dangerous to cross. Now it only takes me 3 minutes whether it's raining or not”

Now that B2P has built a reliable, safe crossing over the river, the time she takes to get to the market or to take her children to school has been drastically reduced. The bridge also helped connect Dativa’s shop to the surrounding villages and markets, opening up new economic opportunities for her business and family.

Watch the video to hear directly from Dativa how the trail bridge has affected her life.

Discover more about our partnership with Bridges to Prosperity here

Davita Businesswoman and mother
09 December 2016

Davita's Story

Dativa's story

09 December 2016
Image of colleagues