Project Status



Project Type:  Sand Dam

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 500 Served

Project Phase:  In Service - Sep 2018

Functionality Status:  Functional

Last Checkup: 08/06/2024

Project Features


Click icons to learn about each feature.



Unpredictable rainfall patterns can't guarantee water for communities, such as Mbau Village, all year round. Most rivers in this region are seasonal. Sand dams would, therefore, harvest rainwater where it falls and make it available to the community through the dry season, providing water for households, watering livestock, and for income generating activities.

Water

People in the community travel more than a mile to access water for washing and drinking. The burden of the long journey is usually endured by women and children as they are tasked with getting water for the family. The terrain is rough and steep which makes it a more difficult and tiresome walk.

Some members reported that they pay for the water because they don’t own donkeys for transporting the water from the source to their homes while others use their backs to ferry the water home.

The scoop holes are found on a seasonal river which is prone to running dry during prolonged seasons without rainfall. This leaves community members with no alternatives in their quest for water for household chores and livestock. That and the fact that the community shares the water source means it runs out of water often.

The community has been using the water without any form of treatment, thus exposing them to potential health risks from waterborne diseases.

If a family can afford it, they jump on the opportunity to own as much water storage as possible to cut down on the long trips made for water.

Sanitation

"Our life and levels of hygiene and sanitation are not up to standard and are too low because we lack enough supply of clean water, we hope by working on developing water projects things will change for the better," Mrs. Ann Mwangangi said.

Roughly two-thirds of homes have latrines in Mbau. The latrines observed exhibited low levels of cleanliness. No household had water placed outside the facilities for use for handwashing. Some of the latrines were made of permanent and semi-permanent structures. Chances are high that some latrines have been affected by the ongoing rains, leading to their collapse.

Community

Mbau Community is found in Mwingi, more than 300km away from ASDF offices in Mtito Andei. Based on the distances involved and the number of projects in that area, we had to camp at Mwingi Town for several days so as to cover many projects within the area.

The community is in a peaceful rural area with a rough terrain comprising of steep slopes. The area is partly dry with scattered trees. Being a rural village, the majority of homes are made of bricks and roofed with iron sheets and often lack plastered or cement floors.

There are over 1,000 people in this dry region of Kenya. The majority are not in formal employment - many households have invested in subsistence farming for the provision of basic family food. Residents grow maize, cowpeas, pigeon peas, millet, sorghum and more recently others have started growing fruits, such as mangoes.

What we plan to do about it:

Our main entry point into Mbau Community has been the Yangondi Self-Help Group, which is comprised of 44 farming households that are working together to address water and food scarcity in their region. These members will be our hands and feet in both constructing water projects and spreading the message of good hygiene and sanitation to everyone.

Training

We’re going to train Mbau Community on hygiene and sanitation practices. We want to ensure that community members are practicing the day to day habits we’re not able to observe. Food hygiene, water hygiene and treatment, personal hygiene and handwashing will all be a focus during our sessions together.

Sand Dam

Building this sand dam at a spot further down the river will bring water closer to hundreds of other people. After the community picked the spot, our technical team went in and proved the viability by finding a good foundation of bedrock. Now, our engineers are busy drawing up the blueprints. We estimate the dam will be 32 meters long and 4.95 meters high.

We are unified with this community to address the water shortage. As more sand dams are built, the environment will continue to transform. As the sand dams mature and build up more sand, the water tables will rise. Along with these sand dams, hand-dug wells (check out the hand-dug well being installed next to this dam) will be installed to give locals a good, safe way to access that water.

With these projects, clean water will be brought closer to hundreds living around Mbau.


This project is a part of our shared program with Africa Sand Dam Foundation. Our team is pleased to provide the reports for this project (edited for readability) thanks to the hard work of our friends in Kenya.

Project Updates


August, 2020: Through Their Eyes: COVID-19 Chronicles with Agnes Katethya Mutheki

This post is part of a new series by The Water Project meant to highlight the perspectives and experiences of the people we serve and how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting them. We invite you to read more of their stories here.

Our team recently visited Mbau Community to conduct a COVID-19 prevention training (read more about it below!) and monitor their water point. Shortly after, we returned to check in on the community, offer a COVID-19 refresher training, and ask how the pandemic is affecting their lives.

It was during this most recent visit that Agnes Katethya Mutheki shared her story of how the coronavirus has impacted her his life.

Field Officer Titus Mbithi met Agnes outside her home to conduct the interview. Both Titus and Agnes observed physical distancing and other precautions throughout the visit to ensure their health and safety. The following is Agnes's story, in her own words.


What is one thing that has changed in your community since the completion of the water project?

The water point has been providing us with clean water since its installation. All surrounding homesteads have unlimited access to available water resources. Again, many people have now established small kitchen gardens using the water where they are growing kales, tomatoes, and cabbages. This will help improve our eating habits.

How has having a clean water point helped you through the pandemic so far?

Having a reliable, clean water source has been of great importance to us, we are all using the available water to maintain the regular handwashing at home while also maintaining high standards of hygiene and sanitation. Having water from within is also helping towards ensuring we avoid traveling for long distances in search of water.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Kenya, has fetching water changed for you because of restrictions, new rules, or your concerns about the virus?

Yeah, there was a change. Initially, I only stayed with my husband at home. Now, my grandchildren are around, which means more water is needed at home for daily use and also for maintaining the high standards of hygiene and sanitation. Fortunately, there are no major restrictions on fetching water.

How has COVID-19 impacted your family?

Covid-19 has affected my family, especially my children and grandchildren. One of my sons was locked down in town all along - even after he had lost his job. It was a nightmare for us to support him with our meager income. My daughter also came to visit us here with her three children. When the cessation of movement orders was implemented, she couldn't travel back to her home.

What other challenges are you experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Now that my husband and I are aged, we have been dependent on our children for upkeep. This pandemic has made most of them lose their jobs, which has been a blow to us, leading to a fall in living standards.

What hygiene and sanitation steps have you taken to stop the spread of the virus?

Most of the community members have installed handwashing stations at their homes to ensure regular hand washing all the time. We are also wearing face masks while in public places as a measure to avoid the virus.

Like most governments around the world, the Kenyan government continues to set and adjust restrictions both nationally and regionally to help control the spread of the disease.

What restriction were you most excited to see lifted already?

The government lifted the movement restrictions yesterday. It is a major reprieve to my children who were locked in major towns after losing their jobs. Now they can travel home and live here with us.

What restriction are you still looking forward to being lifted?

I look forward to the lifting of the curfew restrictions and opening of schools so that life can go back to normal.

What has been the most valuable part of the COVID-19 sensitization training you received from our team?

We learned how handwashing with clean water and soap stops the spread of the virus and the importance of wearing face masks while in public places.

When asked where she receives information about COVID-19, Agnes listed the radio, word of mouth, and our team's sensitization training.




May, 2020: COVID-19 Prevention Training Update at Mbau Community

Our teams are working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us in our fight against the virus while maintaining access to clean, reliable water.

We are carrying out awareness and prevention trainings on the virus in every community we serve. Very often, our teams are the first (and only) to bring news and information of the virus to rural communities like Mbau, Kenya.

We trained community members on the symptoms, transmission routes, and prevention of COVID-19.

Due to public gathering concerns, we worked with trusted community leaders to gather a select group of community members who would then relay the information learned to the rest of their family and friends.

We covered essential hygiene lessons:

- Demonstrations on how to build a simple handwashing station

- Proper handwashing technique

- The importance of using soap and clean water for handwashing

- Cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces including at the water point.

We covered COVID-19-specific guidance in line with national and international standards:

- Information on the symptoms and transmission routes of COVID-19

- What social distancing is and how to practice it

- How to cough into an elbow

- Alternative ways to greet people without handshakes, fist bumps, etc.

- How to make and properly wear a facemask.

During training, we installed a new handwashing station with soap near the community’s water point.

Due to the rampant spread of misinformation about COVID-19, we also dedicated time to a question and answer session to help debunk rumors about the disease and provide extra information where needed.

Water access, sanitation, and hygiene are at the crux of disease prevention. You can directly support our work on the frontlines of COVID-19 prevention in all of the communities we serve while maintaining their access to safe, clean, and reliable water.




October, 2019: Giving Update: Mbau Community

A year ago, your generous donation helped Mbau Community in Kenya access clean water.

There’s an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Mbau Community. Month after month, their giving supports ongoing sustainability programs that help this community maintain access to safe, reliable water. Read more…




September, 2018: Mbau Community Sand Dam Complete

Mbau Community, Kenya now has a new source of water thanks to your donation. A new dam was constructed on the riverbed, which will build up sand to raise the water table and naturally filter water. Community members also attended hygiene and sanitation training, and plan to share what they learned with their families and neighbors.

New Knowledge

Hygiene and sanitation training was planned and organized by the Area Field Officer, Bendetta Makau, who communicated with the community members and settled on a date when Instructor Veronica Matolo could conduct sessions.

Attendance stood at 23, which was a good turnout for this important community activity. The presence of the Mbau Village Administrator demonstrated the importance of training. The group met at a homestead, arranging seats outside under trees. The weather was calm and cool, creating a conducive learning environment for all.

Mapping activities and facilities around the village

One of the most effective topics had participants out walking around the community. They searched for areas where people would use the bathroom, identifying the need for proper latrines and waste disposal. They learned about how this open defecation is being spread around their environment by flies and wild animals.

After returning to the homestead, we demonstrated how investments on good hygiene and sanitation pay off; that building a latrine, handwashing station, and treating water keeps people from having to pay for reoccurring medical treatment.

People also loved learning how to make soap. This won't only be used at the household level to wash hands, dishes, and more, but will be made in large batches to sell at the local market. The benefits to health are immediate, but the participants look forward to making an income off of their soap-making knowledge, too.

"The training has been good and a challenging one because we did not know that there’s too much open defecation in our area. We promise to change our actions and behaviors through following instructions from the training. This will help reduce the money we’ve been using for treatment," shared Mrs. Kavutha Katava.

Mrs. Kavutha Katava

"From the calculations we did... we have learned that we spend a lot of money that could be used in development activities. The training method was so simple, thus allowing us to get equal knowledge that can be passed to all the community members easily. If we follow the instructions from the training, our community will be a wealthy and a healthy one."

Sand Dam

Construction of the sand dam started at a time when the area was experiencing rainfall, which interrupted the normal construction process.

The community members collected all of the local materials like rocks and sand that were required for successful completion of the dam. They also provided unskilled labor to support our artisans. The collection of the raw construction materials takes longer than the actual construction. For a super large sand dam, materials collection could take up to four months.

Siting and technical designs were drawn and presented to the Water Resources Management Authority and a survey sent to the National Environment Management Authority for approval before construction started. Once approved, we established firm bedrock at the base of the sand dam wall. In the absence of good bedrock, excavation is done up to a depth at which the technical team is satisfied that the ground is firm enough to stop seepage.

Then mortar (a mixture of sand, cement, and water) is mixed and heaped into the foundation. Rocks are heaped into the mortar once there is enough to hold. Barbed wire and twisted bar are used to reinforce the mixture. Once the foundation is complete, a skeleton of timber is built to hold the sludge and rocks up above ground level. The process is then repeated until a sufficient height, width and length are built up. The vertical timber beams are dismantled and the dam is left to cure.

As soon as it rains, the dam will begin to build up sand and store water. With this water, the surrounding landscape will become lush and fertile.

However, it could take up to three years of rain (Because sometimes it only rains once a year!) for this sand dam to reach maximum capacity. It is 32 meters long and 4.95 meters high and took 575 bags of cement to build.

Sand dam construction was undertaken simultaneously with the construction of a hand-dug well which gives community members a safe method of drawing water. As the sand dam matures and stores more sand, a huge supply of water will be available for drinking from the adjacent hand-dug well.

To see that hand-dug well, click here.

"Mbau Village is lighting up with joy after the implementation of this water project. Clean water will now be accessible to all of us without traveling for long distances, and this will improve our living standards," said Mrs. Kavutha Katava.

"There will be improved hygiene and sanitation among community members from the unlimited availability of water with this project, the training was good and educative on ways of remaining healthy through proper cleanliness at all levels."




May, 2018: Mbau Community Sand Dam Project Underway

Unpredictable rainfall patterns can't guarantee water for communities, such as Mbau Village, all year round. Most rivers in this region are seasonal. Sand dams would, therefore, harvest rainwater where it falls and make it available to the community through the dry season, providing water for households, watering livestock, and for income generating activities.




Project Photos


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!


Giving Update: Mbau Community

September, 2019

A year ago, your generous donation helped Mbau Community in Kenya access clean water – creating a life-changing moment for Faith Mwinzi. Thank you!

Keeping The Water Promise

There's an incredible community of monthly donors who have come alongside you in supporting clean water in Mbau Community 1A.

This giving community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Mbau Community 1A maintain access to safe, reliable water. Together, they keep The Water Promise.

We’re confident you'll love joining this world-changing group committed to sustainability!

People living in Mbau no longer travel for more than 3 kilometers to neighboring Kyome in search of water. This is because the sand dam and hand-dug well have provided clean water to community members for the last year.

Community members are happy about the project as it is transforming their lives for the better.

"I am no longer missing school to help mum in fetching water like it used to be the case before this project. Now, I attend school regularly and I hope to improve my grades," said Faith Mwinzi, a 14-year-old girl we met while visiting the project recently.

Locals can now plant trees using the available water - something that was never possible in the past because of water problems affecting this community.

Levels of hygiene and sanitation have significantly improved at the locality because of the adequate water supply and the hygiene training which opened up locals to the need for high levels of cleanliness.

"Cases of water-related complications among community members have reduced because we are now using water from a trusted source," said Mutheki Mwengi, a member of the self-help group that supports the project.

Faith and Mutheki at the well


Navigating through intense dry spells, performing preventative maintenance, conducting quality repairs when needed and continuing to assist community leaders to manage water points are all normal parts of keeping projects sustainable. The Water Promise community supports ongoing sustainability programs that help Mbau Community 1A maintain access to safe, reliable water.

We’d love for you to join this world-changing group committed to sustainability.

The most impactful way to continue your support of Mbau Community 1A – and hundreds of other places just like this – is by joining our community of monthly givers.

Your monthly giving will help provide clean water, every month... keeping The Water Promise.


Contributors

Project Sponsor - Barbara Belle Ash Dougan Foundation