Connecting Communities: Jacobs' Mission to Build a Safer Future in Rwanda

This June, Jacobs will send a team of 11 volunteers to Rwanda to build a bridge that will provide thousands with year-round access to schools, healthcare and markets.

From June 7–20, 2025, the team will collaborate with Bridges to Prosperity to construct a durable, flood-resistant bridge. During the rainy season, river crossings become hazardous, cutting off entire communities from essential services. This bridge will provide a safe, reliable passage for thousands, improving education, healthcare and economic opportunities.

This marks Jacobs’ fourth bridge project in Rwanda. Since 2013, we've worked with Bridges to Prosperity to connect more than 40,500 people to essential resources by constructing bridges and deploying more than 115 volunteers. Research shows that a single bridge can increase school attendance, labor market income, farm profits and access to healthcare.

For two weeks, the team will immerse themselves into local life, working alongside community members, sharing skills and experiencing the culture firsthand. It's a journey they'll never forget.

Meet the team

The team includes employees from around the world, each taking on key roles such as project lead, safety lead, communications lead and general support roles. Two executive sponsors will also join the effort.

Leadership team:

Project Lead Claire Cassany: "I want to bring back evidence of Jacobs' promise and core values as we create a more connected and sustainable world."

Safety Lead Ibrahim Diarra: "My passion comes from firsthand experience with infrastructure challenges, having seen communities cut off by impassable rivers miss vital services."

Construction Lead Jim Mills: "This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will help me appreciate what makes Jacobs a great company to work for and why I've stayed here for 21 years."

Communications Lead Mohamed Nizar: "As the proverb goes, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' and I'm eager to take that step toward making a tangible difference."

Logistics Lead Miranda Rey-Fleming: "I'm particularly passionate about the impact this will have on young girls, enabling them to access education and providing long-term financial empowerment."

Support team:

Param Kaur-Kingston: "Sharing this adventure with my children is important to me. I want to inspire them by demonstrating the power of giving back."

Tamara Kaaki: "As a bridge engineer, I see bridges as powerful symbols of connection and growth beyond their engineering."

Irene Maria Briarava: "I admire Bridges to Properity's commitment to building more than just structures – they build connections, progress and opportunities for communities."

Repeat Team Member Megan Shi: "The bridge provides not just a safe path for the community, but a vital link to schools, markets and families – that's the meaning of Bridge to Prosperity."

Executive Sponsors:

Kate Kenny: "I feel privileged to be joining this year's team alongside exceptional colleagues in a project that will improve lives."

Venk Nathamuni: "I'm excited to join my Jacobs colleagues in a meaningful cause that helps alleviate poverty by reducing rural isolation."

Alternate Team Members: 

Emma Weatherstone: "A helping hand will reach as far as you allow it to, and in return, selflessness enriches both the giver and receiver."

Sou Rout: "Together, we can build bridges that not only connect places but also transform lives."

What's next?

In the coming months, we'll share more updates on the team’s journey and ways you can support the 2025 Jacobs Bridges to Prosperity team. Stay tuned!