This will involve everybody in the neighborhood. Just like security which the government is supposed to provide but it doesn’t, rural roads are supposed to be graded and properly maintained by the government. Unless a senior government official is touring your village, or local politicians are campaigning, the roads are left unattended, with potholes that have turned into craters. It is the locals who use these roads everyday and that is the more reason they should care about their state.
Do your research. Go to every home and establish their level of interest and how much is a fair contribution from each homestead. Check out the cost of materials you will need, how much will be left to pay yourselves for labor. Rock chips from the local quarries can be used to fill potholes and the tracks that have been created over time by vehicles. The rock chips will help stabilize the soil so that vehicles dont dig tracks into the mud during rainy season.
Dig trenches on the sides of the roads to provide drainage to prevent flooding on the roads. Trim off the overgrowth that has encroached on many roads making them narrower than they were originally intended. Prune tree branches that hang too low dripping water directly on the roads when it rains and blocks the sun from drying up the roads when the rain stops, keeping the roads impassable.
Approach local businesses, BodaBoda operators and visiting family members who drive home on weekends and holidays to see if they can support your venture. I want to believe they will. I know I will, if that will guarantee a smoother ride the next time I come home on BodaBoda.
This can be a continuous venture in construction and maintenance making our rural roads passable while providing employment to our young able bodied men, and giving locals some smooth roads to enjoy.
