A Year Later: "I never thought I would own a green farm."

"Before the construction of this sand dam, we faced various challenges because getting water was a difficult ordeal," said 42-year-old Ann Mbuvi.

Before this past year, life was not easy for Ann and the other community members. They spent most of their time and energy just trying to find enough water to meet their basic needs, ending every day exhausted.

Ann continued: "We wasted a lot of time walking to rivers, which are very far from here. We had to queue at the rivers only to get water from unprotected sources, which was very unclean and unsafe for human use. This exposed us to water-related infections like typhoid, amoeba, and dysentery."

But after the sand dam was completed last year, things changed for everyone, and water became accessible.

"After constructing this sand dam, life has changed a lot. We have plenty of water which is clean and well-protected in the shallow well," Ann said.

"In the past year, I have planted numerous trees and also ventured into cash crop farming. I have also planted many trees on my farm and at home. Due to the availability of water, I am able to water my plants adequately. This project has made me acquire income and feed my family, as I never thought I would own a green farm like I do," Ann concluded.

Ann smiles as she pumps water provided by the sand dam.