Bridge Builds Promising Future

By Captain Fraser Clark

I never expected to see so many smiling faces.  Young children clinging closely to their parents lined the dirt roads waving to us as our convoy rolled into the village of Saddaqat on the northern outskirts of Kandahar City.  We were there to witness the official opening of a new bridge that Canadian military engineers designed and which local Afghans constructed.  This bridge, like several that now pepper the southern Afghan landscape, is a sure sign that Canadians are deferring responsibility for Afghan internal affairs as they take the lead in their own future.

All the signs of the Third World permeate the landscape in Saddaqat: Open sewage systems run freely beside the roads where kids – many without any footwear - play with reckless abandon among heaps of garbage strewn freely about the place.  Punctuating the sights are the distinctive aromas arising from the sewers.  These pungent bouquets remind me of the old New York City subway system – not particularly pleasant but a fact of life nonetheless.  The village is a far cry from what we know in modern Western civilization; it’s as if we’d stepped back in time were it not for the sight of a few locals sporting articles of brand-name clothing. 

The bridge itself is a welcome addition to this community.  Economic development has been slow to reach the district.  Saddaqat is bisected by the Valley of Savage Waters - the Mian-Kuh-Mandah River.  During the rainy season, the waters rise above the banks flooding parts of the village forcing the people to travel an additional five kilometers - usually on foot - to the local markets, schools and work. But the flood waters have also prevented those interested in developing the economic potential of the region from investing in its capacity.  In response to their needs, the locals constructed a make shift low-water crossing.  For the most part, this didn’t allow vehicles to pass and in the end, the people of Saddaqat were forced to log the extra distance to the city.

So the local district leader, Mohammad Gul Agha, placed his faith in a governance system he was unsure of and what his constituents perceived to be unresponsive.  He approached the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team (KPRT) requesting that a bridge be built in order to encourage economic development and mitigate the daily drudgeries of his people.  

Liaising with Agha, the KPRT Team swung into action.

In his typical unassuming way, Captain Marc Comeau, Senior Design Officer of the KPRT’s Specialist Engineering Team designed the bridge to Canadian standards.  During the construction phase of the project, Comeau quietly and deliberately mentored his Afghan counterparts so when the time comes to depart this central Asian outpost, the Afghans will have the tools to manage themselves.

The construction process began just two short months ago.  By the time all was said and done, the people of Saddaqat had a bridge and it’s now expected to serve not just the locals but also an additional 33,000 residents from the surrounding area.

As we prepared to cut the ribbon and open the overpass, a small plaque affixed to the side of the bridge caught my attention.  The citizens of Saddaqat felt compelled to recognize the efforts of their own along with the Canadians.  Reflecting the true spirit of mutual understanding through a shared sense of accomplishment, the people of Saddaqat wrote SADDAQAT BRIDGE:  Built for the people of Kandahar City, By the people of Kandahar City; Constricted by Nisay Company; Supported by the KPRT, February 2008.

At that, it was my turn to smile.