Dar es Salaam, Dec. 24 -- EARLY mornings in Iringa are cold. Before the sun rises, people step out of their homes to begin the day. Some walk to farms, others head to school, hospitals, or local markets. For many years, these everyday journeys were filled with uncertainty.

During the rainy season, rivers overflowed, roads disappeared into mud and entire communities were cut off from essential services.

For rural families, distance was never just about kilometres. It was about time lost, income lost and sometimes lives put at risk. A sick person delayed on the way to hospital. A pregnant mother struggling to reach care. A farmer watching crops spoil because transport was impossible.

These were not rare events; they were part of daily li...