Branch AGM and Presentation

Presenter Details

Pia Abercromby, P.Eng., BE

In May 2019, Pia went on a life-changing trip to the north east corner of Uganda. Her company, McElhanney, sponsored the construction of a pedestrian suspension bridge for a small community through the Bridges to Prosperity organization. Pia was a part of a group of 10 women from across North America who came together, rolled up their sleeves, and physically built the bridge. They set the cant in the towers, measured sag in the cables, and manually bent reinforcement into hangers for the bridge. After 2 weeks of hard work when the bridge was completed, they had achieved much more than just building a bridge. They built relationships with the locals, teaching them how to use power tools and how to maintain the bridge. They learnt from the community, understanding more about life in rural Uganda and how this bridge will provide safe access for locals to schools, medical centres, and markets. They learnt how to problem solve with limited resources. After the experience, Pia realized that she gained technical knowledge relating to pedestrian suspension bridges, but also came away with a great appreciation for the privileged life that we lead in Canada. She hopes to encourage others to seek out similar volunteering opportunities.

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