CMCO Team Heads to Rwanda for Bridge Building Project Together with FIKA

When the rains arrive in southern Rwanda, the Agatobwe River rises, and the choices for people living nearby narrow.

Without a safe crossing, children may be unable to reach school, families can become separated from health care, and farmers, workers, and business owners must wait for the water to recede or attempt a journey that can turn dangerous, or even deadly. For many, the only reasonable choice is to turn back.

This week, ten CMCO employees will travel to Rwanda’s Nyaruguru district to help provide another option. From October 17-31, they will work with local community members and Fika (formerly Bridges to Prosperity), to support construction of the Yaramba suspended trail bridge.

When completed, the bridge is expected to provide safer, year-round access for 6,742 people in seven nearby communities. But before the team can help connect those communities, its members must first build connections with one another.

Not only does CMCO provide a team of employees to build the bridge, the company regularly donates two sizes of Crosby wire rope clips, which help secure the suspended wire ropes used in Fika’s bridge designs. These clips are used on every bridge supported by the donations.

CMCO also supplies approximately three to six Kito lever hoists for bridge projects. These portable, hand-operated tools help crews pull, position and tension materials during construction. In 2026, the company expanded its contribution by adding Kito clips that work with the lever hoists to help grip and move the rope for the in-progress Yaramba trail bridge.

Team Spotlight
With no easy task ahead, the team is excited to make the trip. They come from seven countries and work in engineering, human resources, communications, production, and operations. Some are experienced builders. Others are stepping well beyond their normal routines. All volunteered for the chance to leave behind something useful.

For Justin Lewis, that decision brought several interests together.

“I volunteered because the trip combines several things I enjoy: construction, hiking and helping people in need,” said Justin, who will serve as the project’s safety lead.

Justin was encouraged by friends and family members who had participated in service trips, as well as a colleague who had previously volunteered with the organization. He hopes Rwanda will give him stories to tell and friendships with local residents and CMCO colleagues.

Jürgen Dinkel understands the appeal of making something with his own hands. Jürgen, who is based in Künzelsau, Germany, has enjoyed building and repairing things since childhood.

“I like hands-on work and the feeling of creating something useful together as a team,” he said.

He is excited and curious, if slightly nervous, about traveling to a new country to attempt something he has never done. He hopes to come home with a greater understanding of another culture and the knowledge that the team built something meaningful.

That desire to understand runs through the group.

Rachel Smyth, out of Yamanashi, Japan, grew up without a television and spent much of her time outdoors. She enjoys repairing cars and building things, making the project a natural match. But the construction itself is only part of what drew her to Rwanda.

“I’m curious about how people from different cultures think,” Rachel shared, adding she hopes conversations with local residents will expand her understanding of rural life and offer new perspectives on how culture shapes people’s ideas about happiness, hardship, and the choices they make.

Preparing for the Unknown
Curiosity does not erase apprehension. For some volunteers, the uncertainty is precisely what makes the experience meaningful.

Debbie Bayliss is anticipating the physical demands of the work and the challenges of traveling somewhere unfamiliar. She describes herself as both excited and nervous.

“As a middle-aged woman, I wanted to challenge the idea that adventure, personal growth, and taking on new challenges are only for younger people,” Debbie said.

She also wants her two teenage children to see that service and growth are not limited by age.

“It’s never too late to do something meaningful and memorable,” she said.

Dan Ertel, the project team’s construction lead, is preparing for the uncertainty by remaining flexible. Dan describes his pre-trip mindset as excited, open-minded and confident.

“I don’t fully know what to expect and being able to flex and adjust is in my character,” Dan said.

He wanted to experience another culture from somewhere other than the sidelines, he said, and to contribute to a project whose usefulness would continue long after the volunteers returned home.

Anthony Kachepa is meeting the same uncertainty with an easy calm.

“I approach things as they come, and I enjoy doing new things in my life,” said Anthony.

At a remote work site, where weather, equipment, and physical fatigue can disrupt even carefully made plans, that steadiness may become one of the team’s most useful resources.

Finding Their Roles
Other team members are preparing to respond with technical expertise.

Kristoffer Haugstad hopes to troubleshoot problems that arise during the build.

“If something does not go as planned, or if cars or tools break down, I can help fix them,” Kristoffer said.

During quieter moments, he plans to learn about local food and culture and get to know the people working beside him.

Those relationships will be part of Matthew Atherton’s responsibility as project lead. Matthew was deeply disappointed when he initially learned he had not been selected. When a place later opened, he eagerly accepted it.

“I craved the opportunity to do something good in the world,” Matthew said. “It’s a true adventure, and I hope to take away good memories and strengthened friendships.”

He also expects blisters and sore muscles.

When that fatigue sets in, Nicki Hojnacki hopes to help keep the group connected. She sees herself as a facilitator who can keep conversations going and make difficult days feel lighter.

“When we can all have fun together, I believe our days will feel less like work and more like a gift,” Nicki said.

She also hopes the experience strengthens her sense of gratitude, something she views not as a passive feeling, but as a practice.

“I believe gratitude is a talent that needs to be trained just like any other skill,” she said.

The Whole Story
For Tina Burton the journey carries personal significance. She wants to contribute on the continent from which her African American ancestors descended and reconsider the privileges and conveniences she may take for granted.

Tina is approaching the experience with advice she received from a college journalism professor: “Try to find out the whole story.”

To her, that means arriving ready to work and being ready to listen.

“We’re different people from different parts of the world, but we all applied with the same goal: Complete the mission for the nearly 7,000 local residents who need this bridge,” Tina said. “But I’m hoping we come to learn, listen and absorb the culture we’ll be embedded in.”

A bridge is cables, anchors, concrete and measurements. Its value, however, is found in what waits on the other side: a classroom, a health center, a market, a job or a safe journey home. The Yaramba trail bridge will span one river, but for the people who cross it and those who help build it, the distance covered may be much greater.

Follow our team’s journey on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We can’t wait to share their story with you.