Kalinza Community 2A

Project Status

Project Type: Sand Dam

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 240 Served

Project Phase: In Service - May 2026

Functionality Status: Functional

Project Features

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The 240 people of Kalinza struggle to access sufficient water daily because their only water source is far away and requires a long, tiresome trip. Although there is a kiosk where they can collect water from a well that provides clean water, community members must walk two hours to get to the location.

"Personally, water is all I think of, and it's all that stresses me from time to time. I have no donkey, so I depend on borrowing people's donkeys to go and fetch water. At times when everyone is busy with their donkey, I have to carry water using my back, which is subjected to much unworthy suffering," said 40-year-old farmer Josephine Kasumo.

Josephine Kasumo.

But the distance is not the only problem. After community members expend so much energy getting to the well, they find long queues of people also waiting to collect water, causing them distress as they watch the day waste away. They must collect water, but the draining task leaves them with little energy or time to do anything else, interrupting even their tasks like cooking and farming.

Installing a sand dam will enable Josephine to focus on quickly collecting sufficient, safe water to meet her needs while still having the time and energy to complete her daily tasks and make progress that enriches her life.

Having a sand dam in their area will help community members access clean drinking water near their homes and give them time to engage in other life-giving activities like farming, income generation, improving community hygiene and sanitation levels, and educating the community's children.

Helping to solve the water crisis in this community will take a multi-faceted system. It requires the collaboration of the sand dam and a dug well. They will work together to create a sustainable water source that will serve this community for years to come.

Steps Toward a Solution

Our technical experts worked with the local community to identify the most effective solution to their water crisis. Together, they decided to construct a sand dam and dug well.

Sand Dam
Sand dams are sought-after, climate-smart, and lasting water solutions providing hope and resilience to communities in arid Southeastern Kenya. Think of them like giant sandboxes constructed in seasonal rivers that would typically quickly dry up after the rainy season. Instead of holding water like traditional dams, they collect sand and silt.

When infrequent rains do come, these dams catch a percentage of the river's flow, letting most of the water continue downstream to other communities. But here's the magic: the sand they collect acts like a natural filter, holding onto water long after the river's gone dry. Then, wells are constructed nearby, creating a reliable water source even during the driest times.

And the benefits don't stop there! In communities impacted by climate change, sand dams replenish groundwater and prevent soil erosion. Even during severe droughts, the consistent water supply from these sand dams allows farmers to thrive, giving way for enough food not only for their families but also to sell in local markets.

The most remarkable aspect of sand dams is how they involve the local community every step of the way, giving them a sense of ownership and pride in solving their own water shortage and managing their own water resources.

This sand dam will be connected to a dug well to make the water more accessible.

Community Education & Ownership
Hygiene and sanitation training are integral to our water projects. Training is tailored to each community's specific needs and includes key topics such as proper water handling, improved hygiene practices, disease transmission prevention, and care of the new water point. Safe water and improved hygiene habits foster a healthier future for everyone in the community. Encouraged and supported by the guidance of our team, a water user committee representative of the community's diverse members assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, often gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.

Project Updates

May, 2026: Kalinza Community Sand Dam Complete!

Kalinza, Kenya, now has access to a new water source thanks to your donation! We constructed a sand dam on the riverbed, which will raise the water table and allow the water to naturally filter 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.

Stella Mbithi, a 52-year-old farmer, shared her excitement.

"Having water nearby will give us more time and better conditions to work toward our goals. With reliable water, I can plant vegetables, grow fruit trees, and improve my farming so I can provide more for my family. My children and grandchildren will also have more time to study instead of spending hours fetching water. Better hygiene and enough drinking water will keep them healthier, allowing them to focus on school and their future ambitions," Stella said.

Sand Dam Construction

The members of the Kalinza Self-Help Group collected all the local materials, such as 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 a tremendous amount of time to supporting our artisans through physical labor throughout the project.

First, our team developed the siting and technical designs, which were then presented 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 the addition of 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 50 meters long and 4 meters high and took 962 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, allowing 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 the community with drinking water. It could take up to three years of rain for this sand dam to reach its maximum capacity, because in this region, it sometimes only rains once a year!

Community Education

Our trainer collaborated with the field staff and community members to identify areas where the community could improve.

As we’ve worked with this Self-Help Group in the past, we asked them about the subjects on which they needed refresher training.

Field Officer Alex Koech reported: "The members of Kalinza SHG (self-help group) demonstrated high commitment and genuine enthusiasm throughout the hygiene training. Their active involvement in practical sessions, such as mixing soap, constructing a tippy tap, and participating in other hands-on hygiene demonstrations, demonstrated their eagerness to learn and apply new skills. Members attended the sessions consistently and participated attentively, asking questions and collaborating closely during group activities. Their willingness to practice what they learned and immediately put the skills into use reflects a strong desire to improve household and community hygiene."

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

We covered health problems in the community, including good and bad hygiene habits, as well as the prevention of disease. Finally, we covered both natural resource management and the operation and maintenance of the sand dam.

"The most interesting topic for me was soap making and understanding how hygiene practices connect to the sustainability of our projects. This topic stood out because it opened my eyes to the fact that we had not been taking soap production and sales seriously, yet it is something that can generate income and help us undertake meaningful developments as a group. I learned that proper hygiene begins with simple and affordable actions, like making our own soap, washing hands, and keeping our surroundings clean. I also learned that income from hygiene products can support long-term group goals and reduce disease in our community," said training participant and chairperson of the water user committee, Josephine Mbithi, a 62-year-old farmer.

Thank you for making all of this possible!

April, 2026: Exciting Progress in the Kalinza Community, Thanks to You!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Josephine Kasumo and the entire Kalinza 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 Kalinza Community!

Project Type

Sand dams are huge, impressive structures built into the riverbeds of seasonal rivers (rivers that disappear every year during dry seasons). Instead of holding back a reservoir of water like a traditional dam would, sand dams accumulate a reservoir of silt and sand. Once the rain comes, the sand will capture 1-3% of the river’s flow, allowing most of the water to pass over. Then, we construct shallow wells on the riverbank to provide water even when the river has dried up, thanks to new groundwater reserves. Learn more here!

Kalinza Community 2A

Project Status

Community Profile