March, 2025: Mivau Community Sand Dam Complete!

Thanks to your donation, the Mivau Community in Kenya now has access to a new water source! We constructed a sand dam on the riverbed, which will raise the water table and naturally filter water over time. We also built a new protected dug well with a hand pump adjacent to the sand dam, providing the community with a safer method to draw the drinking water supplied by the dam.

"I am glad that we will no longer [have to] walk three kilometers (almost two miles!) to Kwa Mbaka earth dam to fetch water because this project is only a few minutes from my home. We only used water in the past for domestic purposes, but now I will be able to set [up] a vegetable farm that I will irrigate using water from this project. My cattle will have enough drinking water nearby; thus, they will no longer succumb to adverse scarcity," said Nicholas Mulalya, a 49-year-old farmer and Chairperson of the Water User Committee.

Nicholas Mulalya.

"My children's academic performance will improve because they will be eating enough food at home, and their health will improve [if] they are drinking clean water. They will be attending their classes regularly because they are not distracted by water-related infections like stomach upsets," Mr. Mulalya continued.

"We are planning as a group to purchase a large portion of land where we will plant vegetables that we will be selling to the rest of the community. I will no longer be spending most of [my] time fetching water and [will] concentrate [on] farming, which will earn an income," he concluded.

Sand Dam Construction

The members of the Self-Help Group collected all of the local materials, like rocks and sand, required to complete the dam. The collection of raw materials takes longer than the actual construction, lasting up to four months for a large sand dam. The group also dedicated their time to support our artisans with a tremendous amount of physical labor throughout the project.

First, our team drew up siting and technical designs and presented them to the Water Resources Management Authority. We then sent a survey to the National Environment Management Authority for approval before beginning construction.

Once the plans were approved, we established a firm base for the sand dam wall. Usually, this requires the community to dig all the way down to the bedrock beneath the river channel. In the absence of good bedrock, we excavate to a depth at which the ground is compact enough to stop seepage.

Next, we heaped mortar (a mixture of sand, cement, and water) into the foundation, followed by rocks. We then used barbed wire and rebar to reinforce the mixture.

Once the foundation was complete, we built a timber skeleton to hold the structure above ground level. We repeated the process until reaching a sufficient height, width, and length.

Finally, we dismantled the vertical timber beams and left the dam to cure. This dam measures 19 meters long and 4 meters high and took 804 bags of cement.

When the rains come, sand and silt will be carried down the dry riverbed and build up behind the dam wall. This reservoir of sand acts as a giant natural filter, and allows rainwater to seep into the ground and raise the water table. With this water, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile, and the well will provide drinking water to the community. It could take up to three years of rain for this sand dam to reach maximum capacity because in this region, sometimes it only rains once a year!

New Knowledge

Our trainer conferred with the field staff about previous household visits and interviews with community members to determine which topics the community could improve upon.

There was excellent attendance for the three days of training. With over thirty community members to participate and share the new knowledge with the rest of their community.

Handwash training.

We trained the group on various skills, including bookkeeping, financial management, project management, group dynamics, and governance. We also conducted hygiene and sanitation training to teach skills like soap- and detergent-making and improve behaviors such as handwashing.

We touched on health problems in the community, good and bad hygiene behaviors, the spread and prevention of disease, and sanitation improvements. We covered natural resource management and the operations and maintenance of the well.

Nicholas Mulalya.

Nicholas Mulalya, the chairperson of the self-help group, shared, "Since day one, the training was so involved, and this has made us learn that it is important in our lives and [can] bring about great change, not only to us as group members, but to the entire village and the surrounding community at large. We have learned that hygiene is very vital in disease prevention."

Conclusion

This project required a substantial collaboration between our staff, our in-country teams, and the community members. When an issue arises concerning the well, the group members are equipped with the necessary skills to rectify the problem and ensure it works appropriately. However, if the issue is beyond their capabilities, they can contact their local field officers to assist them.

Also, we will continue to offer them unmatchable support as a part of our monitoring and maintenance program. We walk with each community, problem-solving together when they face challenges with functionality, seasonality, or water quality. Together, all these components help us strive for enduring access to reliable, clean, and safe water for this community.

With your contribution, one more piece has been added to a large puzzle of water projects. In Kenya, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, we’re working toward complete coverage. That means reliable, maintained water sources within a 30-minute round trip for each community, household, school, and health center. With this in mind, search through our upcoming projects to see which community you can help next!

Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2025: Exciting Progress in Mivau Community, Thanks to You!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Makaa and the entire Mivau Community. Construction has begun on the sand dam project, bringing them one step closer to having clean, reliable water.

But that's not all—during construction, we’re also providing vital health training. These sessions equip the community with essential hygiene practices, ensuring that the benefits of clean water extend to lasting health improvements.

We’re so grateful for your role in making this possible. Stay tuned for more updates—soon, we’ll be celebrating the arrival of safe water in the Mivau Community!