Building Connections in Tanzania

For millions of families living in rural settings, a simple trip to school, a doctor, or a market can be dangerous — or impossible.

In Nepal, that reality has already changed. Every day, one million people use trail bridges to safely cross rivers and deep ravines. On the other side they can sell what they grow, attend school, reach healthcare, and find work.

These bridges offer more than just points of connection. They’ve given the invaluable gift of time, saving people an average of two hours per day. And they created pathways to better earning opportunities, with entire communities seeing a 30% increase in their income.

Now that same progress is within reach for Tanzania.

In Tanzania, 75% of people do not have year-round access to essential goods and services. When rivers swell during the rainy season, whole communities are cut off. Farmers’ crops spoil before they reach buyers. Children miss weeks of school. And medical care is unreachable just when it’s needed most.

Farmers can lose up to one-third of their harvest simply because there is no safe, dependable access to markets. That loss ripples through families — shrinking incomes, increasing hunger, and limiting any chance to get ahead.

But a bridge makes all the difference.

Helvetas is launching a national trail bridge program in Tanzania, using proven experience from Nepal. The roll-out plan is ready — but our funding does not cover the materials needed to build the bridges.

This is where your support becomes transformational.

A donation today will help families in Tanzania cross safely, protect their livelihoods, keep children in school, and reach healthcare when it matters most.

Will you help unlock new opportunities for rural communities in Tanzania?