Ivory Coast builds bridge to end dangerous river crossing
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For nearly sixty years, the Toumandjé River separated the village of Toumanguié from the city of Adiaké in Ivory Coast. Each day, around 300 students walked to the riverbank and crossed in handmade canoes to reach their schools.
Before dawn, the children travelled for fifteen minutes to reach the river, where they waited for passage in often overcrowded boats without life jackets.
The journey carried risks from bad weather and capsizing, and in 2021, observers documented the students’ struggles with lateness, fatigue, and damaged school supplies. Residents had long asked for a solution to their isolation. Now, construction has begun on a bridge across the Toumandjé River. Construction equipment is replacing the canoes on the riverbanks. The new bridge will improve safety for students and ease travel, access to services, and the transport of farm products.
The project marks a turning point for Toumanguié and promises to improve daily life for its inhabitants.
