From Canoe to Concrete: How a Bridge Over the Sewa River Is Turning Sierra Leone's Harvests into Wealth

The new Gendema Bridge is more than a piece of infrastructure, it’s a long-awaited lifeline for farmers, students and trading communities who have been isolated from reliable markets and schools for decades. Now, thousands across Simbaru, Wando, Gorama Mende, and Konike Sanda chiefdoms can move their harvests without fearing delays, spoilage, or dangerous crossings.

A River that Held Back a Region

For decades, the Sewa River hindered progress. The only way across was a slow, unreliable, 50-year-old hand pulled ferry, often unusable during the rainy season. This isolated entire communities from markets and schools, leading to lost produce and stunted economic growth. As Honorable Brima Mansaray, the local MP for Constituency 17, reflected, “the people produce, but they lose a lot.”

That changed in November 2025, when President Julius Maada Bio commissioned the bridge, transforming a risky, time-consuming crossing into a safe, five-minute drive and connecting the region year-round.

An Immediate Change

The difference? It is dramatic: farmers enjoy predictable access, produce reaches markets quickly, and transport costs are lower, increasing farmers’ incomes. Safer travel benefits schoolchildren and traders alike. The Smallholders Commercialization and Agribusiness Development Project (SCADeP), led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has empowered farmers, built feeder roads and bridges, and provided grants to agribusinesses and producer organizations, expanding market access and processing capacity.

A Lifeline for Farmers and Families

Locals feel the benefits deeply. Aminata Adamu, a Gendema resident, notes. “We used to watch our produce spoil, and people even drowned trying to cross.” Now our lives are easier, and we thank the President for making this possible.”  Youth leader Thomas Moriba adds, “Children can go to school safely, and our crops no longer rot on the riverbanks.”

A New Economic Corridor

The bridge strengthens a major route between Sierra Leone’s north and southeast and opens new trade opportunities with Liberia, giving farmers access to larger markets and traders a more dependable supply chain.

More Than a Bridge: A Foundation for Growth

Infrastructure of this scale changes everything. For farmers, it means freedom to invest in better seeds and improved techniques, and markets can benefit from stable prices as goods move freely and efficiently. The bridge also supports safer travel for schoolchildren, teachers, nurses, and essential supplies, creating healthier and better-educated communities. Reliable connectivity encourages agribusinesses to invest, fueling further growth.

Building A Stronger Future

The Gendema Bridge is part of Sierra Leone’s broader Feed Salone national strategy and is the second major bridge commissioned in 2025. Bridge construction under SCADeP and Sierra Leone Connectivity and Agricultural Market Infrastructure Project (CAMIP) is a key element of Pillar 3 of the Feed Salone Strategy, focused on linking farmers to markets across the country and the region. Under SCADeP, the Mattru–Senehun and Gendema bridges are now complete, while Manowa and Tomparie will be completed by end of January 2026. Additionally, through CAMIP, four more bridges (Kabba, Komrabai, Moselolo, and Sumbuya) are underway to further improve rural access.

Once an obstacle, the Sewa River is now a gateway to economic growth. With government leadership, community resilience, and support from projects like SCADeP and CAMIP, the region is building a more productive and prosperous agricultural future.