2015

Amayito is a rural community of about 1,000 people in the Carazo department in southwest Nicaragua, divided by the swiftly moving Rio Amayito. Each day, over 150 citizens of Amayito and the surrounding communities must balance on rocks or wade through this river to reach schools, workplaces, markets, and government facilities as they travel to the larger town of La Trinidad a few miles away. For three or more months per year, the situation becomes dire, as the Rio Amayito swells and effectively halts life in this community due to the lack of an alternate crossing. Students must risk swimming across or miss school completely. Daily bus service is discontinued, and in many cases those that have crossed the river are forced to stay in town or with friends until the situation improves. Sadly, one death has already been attributed to the Rio Amayito, and several animals have been lost to its powerful currents. 

The citizens of Amayito have been asking the local municipality in Diriamba for a footbridge for years to prevent future loss of life and property, but their requests have not been answered due to limited financial and technical capacities that forced prioritization of other projects. Ultimately, this bridge will improve the quality of life of the surrounding communities as it will provide safe and consistent access to social hubs and basic resources (through the additional use of the recently completed B2P suspended bridge over the Guanacaste River). The Notre Dame team expects improved communication between family members, a positive trend in regard to the community’s health, continuation of youth’s literacy and further education, increase of trade in markets and other trading posts, and a rise in crop yields for annual food supplies