We kicked off our day with a savory breakfast of French toast and crepes, lovingly prepared by the Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) cook, before heading out to the job site. Upon arrival, B2P’s Corporate Build Manager and Abby, TCG’s Project Lead, facilitated introductions between our team and the local community. Ashley and Crispin then led the group in a lively stretch-and-flex session to get everyone moving.
Justin followed with a demonstration on how to use the tools we brought—specifically for cutting cables and rebar and tightening sockets. After the demo, we divided into smaller teams to take on the tasks of cable pulling, clamping, and torquing. Caleb and Rick, along with Abby and the B2P Corporate Build Manager, worked closely with local crews to teach them how to properly install Indian clamps on all four cables.
Meanwhile, Crispin helped the B2P team set up a solar-powered time-lapse camera to capture the day’s progress. During our mid-morning tea break, Ashley put her surveying and math skills to work, evaluating both abutments and all four cables to ensure precise alignment. Caleb then took the lead on the cable-pulling operation up the hillside.
Lunch was a well-earned feast of chicken sausage, plantains, rice, pasta, and watermelon. The afternoon brought a burst of energy as Patrick and Eddie rallied the team—Patrick used a large log to strike the cables and induce the proper sag, while Eddie led the charge in cutting and bending rebar. Rick tackled the wrenching on the higher abutment, while Ashley continued surveying to verify accurate torquing across all cables.
Later in the day, Abby, Caleb, Crispin, Justin, and Patrick teamed up with local B2P members to haul rocks up the hill for the next phase of construction. As we wrapped up, B2P’s Corporate Build Manager remarked that he had never seen a team accomplish nearly two days’ worth of work in a single day—a proud and energizing moment for everyone.
We capped off the day with refreshing showers, a dinner of rice, beans, and creamy mushroom sauce, thoughtful discussions about tomorrow’s goals, and some fun, well-earned games.
