Impact goes far beyond roads in East Africa

Nairobi, Kenya - The road from Kigali to Ruhengeri in Rwanda is passing through picturesque mountaintops and deep valleys. It is winding along rivers, connecting towns and villages with the national and regional capitals.

The road is nothing less than a lifeline for the northwestern part of the country and an essential transportation artery for people and goods that are traveling from Tanzania to theDemocratic Republic of Congo via Rwanda. Used by thousands of heavy trucks each day, it is now bumpy with potholes, becoming increasingly dangerous.

This is when China rushed to help. In 2009, "China has given Rwanda interest-free loans amounting to $37 million, most of which will fund the Kigali road network rehabilitation project," reported AllAfrica.