Kiliku Community 2A

Project Status

Project Type: Sand Dam

Regional Program: Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

Impact: 300 Served

Project Phase: In Service - Mar 2026

Functionality Status: Functional

Project Features

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The 500 people in the Kiliku Community only have one source of water. The source has several problems, with one of the major problems being its distance. The road people must travel to collect water is long and arduous, stealing their time and making life very hard for everyone.

The journey for water.

"The road to the earth dam is marked by huge stones, especially as you approach the source. On the way, the community members have to walk through cracked terrain that is dangerous, and one can barely walk through at night," shared Field Officer Jefferson Mutie.

Sixteen-year-old Simon faces that difficult journey daily. He goes to school, riding his bike both ways, and then is sent to collect water. However, since the road to the water point is uphill and rocky, he can't ride his bike. He must walk.

"I ride my bicycle to and from school, which barely takes 45 minutes. Then, coming home, I am tasked with fetching water. Already, my weary legs have to trek for other kilometers to get water. This makes me feel bad," shared Simon.

By the time he returns, his day is consumed, meaning he can only make one trip to collect water. This means his household won't have sufficient water, and they will have to make sacrifices.

"I am a school-going boy, and most of the time, I fetch water after reporting back from school. I have to trek late in the evening, thus making it impossible for me to get water on many trips regardless of the water needs at our home," Simon shared.

"Sometimes, when we don't have enough water at the household, I tend to leave my uniform uncleaned for a couple of days, if not a week; this makes me walk around the school very uncomfortable," he continued.

Even though he has little spare time, Simon still has big dreams! If he had accessible water, he would have the tools to reach those goals.

"I would use that time to play football as I am a football enthusiast, although [our] water needs limit me. My dream is to be an engineer and play international football," Simon shared.

"The sand dam (paired with a dug well) will serve many members with clean, sufficient, and safe water for drinking, cooking, washing, and for their livestock. It will also address the community's water scarcity by providing a reliable and sustainable source of water. This will improve access to clean water for drinking, irrigation, and sanitation, significantly enhancing the quality of life. The sand dam will foster a healthier, more resilient community. Consequently, it will enhance the health and well-being of their children at school and patients at their healthcare facility. With fewer waterborne diseases and less time spent collecting water, school-going children can focus on education and health, ultimately fostering a more prosperous future for everyone," concluded Jefferson.

Solving the water crisis in this community will require a multifaceted system that 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

March, 2026: Kiliku Community Sand Dam Complete!

Kiliku Community, 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.

"I hope this new water point will bring an end to the long, exhausting walks we used to make to fetch water from the distant earth dam. Before, the water would run low or even dry up during the drought, forcing us to spend hours in search of water that was often contaminated. We had to use water very sparingly, which affected our hygiene, farming, and even livestock. Now, with clean water nearby, I believe our lives will be healthier, easier, and more productive," shared 54-year-old Eva Mbete.

Ms. Mbete

Not only will Eva's life change, but the future generations of her community also have a chance at a future unencumbered by a water crisis.

"My grandchildren no longer have to walk for hours in the hot sun to fetch water. They can now focus on school, stay healthy, and even help with light chores at home without being exhausted. I believe this water point will give them a better chance at a bright future," Ms. Mbete added.

Sand Dam Construction

The members of the Kiliku Sand Dam 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 twenty-two meters long and two meters high and took seven hundred 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

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

Trainer Veronica Matolo said the attendance was as expected and the training was a success!

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.

"This training has brought some light into our lives. There are a lot of practices that were ignored and never thought of being important. Like, for instance, a good number of us have been saying that we are old and have never been hospitalised, but we’ve been proven wrong since we always have cases of diarrhoea and typhoid, which are very common in our area. Little did we know that we would get sick because of drinking contaminated water," Ms. Mbete, quoted previously, shared about her experience in the training sessions.

"Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2026: Exciting Progress in Kiliku Community!

We’re thrilled to share that, thanks to your generous support, significant change is coming for Simon and the entire Kiliku 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 Kiliku 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!

Kiliku Community 2A

Project Status

Community Profile