A Year Later: "It is now very easy to get water from the shallow well."

A year ago, Ivumbu's people worked together to build a sand dam and shallow well system. Since then, life has changed.

"Before the construction of this sand dam, we walked for long in search of water. We could trek for 1.5 kilometers to the source," said 55-year-old farmer Mary Minoo. "The water was not always available, especially during dry seasons. Due to the distance and the supply of water at the source, one could only make a trip a day. This water was not even enough to practice any farming."

With so much time spent fetching water, Mary had little time for anything else. A year later, things are different.

"After constructing this sand dam, life has changed a lot. It is now very easy to get water from the shallow well. A three-minute walk, then I get clean and fresh water," Mary continued.

"In the past year, I have planted numerous trees and also ventured into vegetable farming. My farm now looks good and productive. With the help of my son, I hope to make a huge step in farming and also turn it into [an] income-generating activity. Now, we no longer have to buy vegetables as we produce locally for domestic use," said Mary.

And Mary is not the only one transformed by access to water.

"My life has not only changed, but also that of my son, who recently completed his secondary school education and has started practicing vegetable farming and tree-planting. I am happy to see him get self-engaged due to [the] availability of water from the sand dam," Mary said.

Mary working on her farm.