A bridge for year-round access to Nongsan Village production areas

Nongsan Village has long depended on a single bridge to reach the fertile fields that sustain its community. After years of deterioration that had left farmers facing daily risks and disrupted livelihoods, a locally led rehabilitation initiative – supported by the Local development programme – has restored safe, year-round access to the village’s production areas. Beyond improving infrastructure, the project has strengthened community resilience while promoting gender equity and inclusion.

Nongsan Village, located approximately 50 kilometers from Kasi District, comprises 178 households with a total population of 1,272 residents, most of whom rely on paddy rice cultivation as their primary livelihood. Most agricultural land lies across the Nam Feuang River, requiring villagers to cross the river to access their farmland.

From 2013 to 2023, villagers depended on a government-funded bridge to access their fields. Over time, the bridge deteriorated, creating safety risks and making it difficult to transport rice and other agricultural products. To address this issue, the Village Development Committee (VDC) proposed a bridge rehabilitation project and submitted it to the Local development programme, co-financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, for funding support.

Beyond restoring infrastructure, the project applied a gender equality, disability, and social inclusion lens to ensure that both men and women in the community could benefit equally from improved access and mobility. Following project approval in February 2025, the VDC led the procurement of construction materials and mobilised community members to participate in the rehabilitation work. Contributions from all gender groups were encouraged to strengthen local ownership of the project.

The rehabilitation works included replacing damaged wooden planks and steel cables, as well as building new concrete foundations to improve stability. The project was completed within three months, and was officially inaugurated in May 2025.

The rehabilitated bridge now provides safe, year-round access for villagers, enabling easier transport of rice, cassava, maize and vegetables. 

As a result, all 178 households in Nongsan Village now benefit from improved access, contributing to enhanced livelihoods and food security, while promoting gender equity and inclusion in the community.

The Local development programme is co-financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland. It is jointly implemented by the Lao Ministry of Finance (formerly the Ministry of Planning and Investment) and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.