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"I had been thinking about what
is going to be my legacy, beyond family and beyond succeeding
in business."
—Ken Frantz
But repairing a bridge in another country—especially a country
with few resources and many needs—was a new challenge. Frantz first
contacted the Ethiopian embassy, where he shared his plan for
rebuilding the bridge with Brook Hailu. The second ambassador to
the U.S. expressed his enthusiastic support for the proposal and
offered to provide letters of introduction to local and national
Ethiopian officials.
While conducting research on the bridge, Frantz also received
some valuable advice from Paul Henze, one of the world's foremost
experts on Ethiopian history. "He said, 'When dealing with people
in Ethiopia, start with local people and work your way up,' "
Frantz recalled. "In the U.S., our tendency is to work from the top
down."
Top, l. to r.: Randy Stacey, volunteer; Hussein, nurse at
free clinic; Burre, camp security chief; Ken Frantz, project
leader; Amar, camp aide. Bottom, l. to r.: Dr. Mengistu Mekonnen of
the free clinic; Zoe Keone, logistics and photography; and Gary
Bunch, volunteer.
Three months after Ken Frantz first saw the National
Geographic photo, he was on his way to Ethiopia. Forrest, a
systems engineer for the Boeing Co., traveled with him to survey
the bridge and determine what it would take to repair the
structure. "Ken's job was to handle the politics. My job was to
handle the engineering," said Forrest.
Other family members and friends rallied around Frantz's idea,
offering their support. Brett Hargrave, a nephew and former U.S.
Army survival instructor, volunteered to serve as the party's
medic. Two other acquaintances with construction backgrounds, Randy
Stacey and Gary Bunch, also offered to accompany the group and
help. All of the men paid their own expenses, including
airfare.
Because the bridge site was a considerable distance from the
Addis Ababa airport, Frantz hired an expedition firm to help them
reach their destination. The 25-member party traveled in jeeps to
the trailhead at Mot'a, then began the toughest part of the
journey: a 26-mile trip on foot, packing their gear in by
donkey.
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