A Year Later: "A steady supply of water even during the dry months"

Before a sand dam was installed in Kasioni Community last year, community members spent countless hours searching for water, leaving them exhausted and still without sufficient water to meet all of their needs.

"We experienced water scarcity because this area is semi-arid, and the nearby rivers are seasonal. We used to walk over five kilometers to [the] nearest waterpoint," said 29-year-old farmer Muyathi Mwanza.

"We had to travel several kilometers searching for water, which left me tired and unable to concentrate on activities like farming. Also, there was meager water for household activities due to the lengthy dry seasons."

But since the installation of the sand dam, community members have had access to water, which has opened up time and energy to do other things.

"I now spend less time looking for water because the water point is nearby and offers a steady supply of water even during the dry months," said Muyathi.

"This has allowed me to focus on other developmental activities such as farming and rearing cattle. I can now plant trees because of the sand dam’s water availability, which will change my environment in the long term."

And having access to water has also enabled Muyathi to make other improvements.

"It also allowed [me] to achieve higher hygiene and sanitation standards because I get enough water to practice good hygiene practices. This has helped keep off diseases like typhoid, amoeba, and diarrhea because we are drinking clean water," Muyathi concluded.

Muyathi.