After the agriculture expert team of the 14th phase of China Aid Agro-Tech assistance project arrived at the base in Bo City in September 2023, they actively carried out demonstration and promotion work for rice and corn cultivation. Their aim is to help improve agricultural planting techniques and food production for Sierra Leonean farmers, and help local farmers in Sierra Leone with practical actions.
The Chinese Farm Road next to the experts’ demonstration field is a route used by over 2,000 teachers and students from the local Sent Andrew Senior Secondary School. The road crosses a river, and there used to be a bridge over it. However, due to years of disrepair, the bridge was completely destroyed by the floods during the rainy season. In order to cross the river, the local people had to put a big tree across the river, so that the formation of a veritable single-plank bridge. When the rainy season comes, the river floods, the single-plank bridge is crumbling, the bridge deck is slippery, and many pedestrians fall into the water. The expert team is deeply concerned about this situation.
After applying to the domestic company, expert team leader Li Youliang quickly led team members Zhou Baoping, Zhu Lin, and Zhou Lei to design a plan, purchase materials, and build a new wooden bridge. When the bridge was being built, residents and students passing by gave thumbs up to the Chinese experts, praising them: “Chinese good!”
On the day when the bridge was built, the students crossed the bridge, smiling like flowers, all vying to take photos with experts from China. Every local crossing the bridge said “thank you” when they saw chinese agriculture experts.
On February 20, a local youth rode a motorcycle with his wife and children. When he got on the bridge, he saw Li Youliang, the leader of the agriculture expert team. He specially stopped to say hello to the leader and asked, “Was this bridge built by chinese?” . The team leader replied, “Yes”. Then, he said very sincerely, “very good, thank you God bless Chinese!”
Sincere thanks and best wishes remain deeply in the hearts of the experts. At this moment, all the hardships of China Aid work turn into sweetness!
Nowadays, there is an endless stream of students and locals passing through the “School Bridge” every day.
A small bridge, without the firmness of reinforced concrete structure, but firmly connecting the friendship between the local people and the agriculture expert team, firmly connecting the hearts of Sierra Leoneans and Chinese people!
Therefore, the bridge is named: “School Bridge and heart-connecting bridge “!
(Drafted by Li Youliang and Liu Honghui)
