A Year Later: Kithuani Sand Dam

A year ago, generous donors helped build a sand dam for the Kithuani Self-Help Group in Kenya. Because of these gifts and our monthly donors, partners are able to visit project sites throughout the year, strengthening relationships with communities and evaluating the actual water project. These consistent visits allow us to learn vital lessons and hear amazing stories – we’re excited to share this one from our partners Titus Mbithi and Mutheu Mutune with you.

People in this area have grown trees for betterment of the environment using water from this sand dam. The project has supported them with water for domestic use and also for watering their livestock. The community members have started irrigating their farms with this water, and some have planted kales, spinach, maize, yams, arrowroots and sweet potatoes. These kind of crops are highly nutritional, and once sold fetch a good income that is used to improve standards of living.

Mutheu Mutune gives a thumbs up after her interview with Anne Ngei.

Anne Ngei is the chairwoman who oversees this water point's management and maintenance. She met us there to talk about the developments in her area since water came. "Life after this project has become very good because the distance to water points has decreased to less than a kilometer, and we use our time well. We have been able to run businesses, take care of our farms, and run our errands without stress. I planted kales, spinach and capsicum which I sold in the last two weeks at 1,200 shillings total.

The money I have used to pay for my granddaughter's meals during the KCSE exams. The remaining money I am planning to use to buy fertilizer for my crops. I have planted sweet potatoes, which I use for breakfast twice a week in my family. They are very nutritious and we are grateful for the various trainings we have received. They have made me become proactive. My children are picking up after me and they are slowly starting to follow the things that I do, such as treating drinking water, terracing for soil conservation and washing hands after toilet among other things," she shared.

Diana pumping water for Anne Ngei. This sand dam makes water available in the adjacent well.

13-year-old Diana Mwende added that she and her family "have established a garden which we water every day and currently our home is beautiful and appealing. I used to see beautiful gardens in other people's homes but the project has enabled us to have one. As a family, we have vegetables at our home which substitutes other types of food."

Kithuani Self-Help Group is hardworking, and they have seen the benefits of this sand dam and are using it to its fullest potential. They've been preventing soil erosion by digging terraces and planting cover crops, which also help to hold water in the soil.

The Water Project and our partners are committed to consistent monitoring of each water source. Our monitoring and evaluation program, made possible by monthly donors, allows us to visit communities up to four times a year. Read more about our program and how you can help.