An icon readies to change Okavango's livelihoods

The dust coming from the police vehicle that had just gotten off the ferry blinds an old man seated by the roadside at Mohembo East. The white Toyota Land Cruiser seems to be in an emergency of some sort as the driver leaves a cloud of white dust behind. When the dust settles, it clears the view of the structural masterpiece under construction in front of the old man – the Mohembo Bridge, a beautiful landmark upon which all his hope for a better life rests.

The 1.2km long bridge over the Okavango River will soon completely change the lives of the people of Okavango Eastern Panhandle. The villages of Gudigwa, Beetsha, Eretsha, Gonutsoga, Seronga, Mokgatcha, Mogotho, Ngarange, Sekondomboro, Xakao, Kauxwi and Mohembo East will this year be finally connected to the rest of the country when the Bridge opens. All these villages are connected by a 160km heavily corrugated gravel road that causes great damage to vehicles.