July 9th 2019 - July 2019 - Bridging Ethiopia's team work was featured in the Connections News Article in July 2019.

In January, MoDOT Senior Structural Design Engineer Belay K. Nerea, a member of the organization, traveled to Ethiopia on a mission trip with other volunteers - Orthopedics Surgeon Dr. Addisu Mesfin and Neurosurgeon Dr. Fassil Mesfin. During the trip, the doctors performed over 15 complex spine surgeries and gave multiple lectures. Nerea and the doctors also met with leaders in the Ethiopian Health Ministry, Ministry of Transportation and other health organizations. Nerea led a workshop and gave a lecture to Ethiopian Road Authority senior management staffs, consultants and their contractors on safety and professional ethics.

Ethiopia has invested about $11 billion over the past 20 years on building roads and budgeted an additional $1.7 billion this year for these efforts. This spending has increased economic growth in a dramatic way. The annual Gross Domestic Product has gone up tenfold in the past 15 years, due in a large part to the investment in funds toward these efforts. This ongoing endeavor will be accomplished by empowering local healthcare providers and leaders in the health ministry of Ethiopia. In addition, there is significant support from the University of Missouri School of Medicine to collaborate with the Addis Ababa University School of Medicine.