Fika
Program Countries
A strategic focus in Sub-Saharan Africa
Fika's work is concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where millions remain isolated from essential services due to impassable rivers and inadequate rural transport networks. We operate in countries with strong government commitment to co-financing and ownership, stable leadership, and clear pathways to independent delivery. Fika currently has programs in four countries: Rwanda (our longest partnership, transitioning to a technical assistance and training hub), Uganda (accelerating private sector-led construction with government oversight), Ethiopia (scaling through the largest government-owned rural access program in the region via World Bank investment), and Zambia (building from pilot to scaled program with government co-financing and climate finance mobilization). Each represents a different stage of the systems-change journey from direct implementation to sustainable, locally-led infrastructure delivery.
Rwanda
Rwanda represents Fika’s longest partnership, spanning 24 years and over 250 bridges serving more than 1 million people. After proving that government-led rural access programs work at scale, we’re now transitioning from direct implementation to technical assistance and capacity building. Rwanda has adopted our Trail Bridge Manual into national road standards through RTDA (Rwanda Transport Development Agency), and we’re developing an Innovation Hub in Kigali: a training facility and center of excellence for rural bridge engineering that will serve the entire region. In 2026, private sector contractors are building bridges independently, with Fika providing quality assurance, marking a major milestone toward full government ownership. Our landmark randomized controlled trial (RCT), the most rigorous evaluation of rural transport infrastructure to date, confirmed that trail bridges increase household consumption by 31%, secondary school enrollment by 22%, and women’s mobility by 60%.
Uganda
In Uganda, we’re partnering with the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) to accelerate the transition to private sector-led bridge construction. After completing two successful pilot bridges built by local contractors, we’re now scaling this model with 10+ bridges planned for 2026 in Sironko and beyond. Uganda has signed a third-phase MOU with MOWT and is finalizing the adoption of our Trail Bridge Manual into national standards. We’re also piloting a seconded engineer position that embeds Fika’s technical expertise directly within the ministry to build sustainable government capacity. Training programs include design, construction, maintenance, and Fika Collect (our digital monitoring tool), with a training-of-trainers (TOT) approach to ensure knowledge transfer to government and private-sector stakeholders. This model proves that, with proper training and oversight, local contractors can independently deliver quality rural bridges.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s TRAIL program represents the largest government-owned rural access initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa. TRAIL Phase II’s success, 61 bridges built with extensive local capacity building across six regions, led to a $35 million World Bank investment through the Rural Connectivity for Food Security Program (RCFSP), committing to 373 bridges by 2029. This integrates with a broader $407 million investment that will provide year-round access to over 9 million Ethiopians. We’ve trained 21 fabricators in steel component manufacturing, 50 consulting firms (100+ engineers) in design and surveying, and 140 local contracting firms in construction. Fika is registering as a local Ethiopian entity and building a foundational in-country team to support government-led delivery at unprecedented scale. We’re also collaborating with the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure (MUI) on the National Rural Transport Infrastructure Master Plan, embedding trail bridges into long-term national planning.
Zambia
Launched in 2025, our Zambia program is proving that rapid scale-up is possible when government commitment meets strategic partnership. In our first operational year, we built 2 pilot bridges and secured $250,000 in government co-financing from the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Development (MIHUD). In 2026, we’re scaling to 14 bridges (12 cable-suspension, 2 stone-arch) with a target of $500,000 in co-financing. Zambia faces a rural access gap affecting 6.5+ million people and requiring an estimated 1,500+ bridges. We’re partnering with MIHUD and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to build local capacity (training contractors, government engineers, and establishing supply chains through partners like NCC), integrate rural transport into national development plans, and position Zambia as a testing ground for climate finance mobilization. Our approach includes strengthening access strategies to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and exploring corridor development opportunities (including the Lobito Corridor).
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