Kasithyu Community A

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

Click icons to learn about each feature.

The Kasithyu Community is home to 4,000 people who do not have a nearby water source. It takes community members over an hour to travel to a distant well to collect water. They often wait in line for six hours, and then they have to make the trek back. This arduous, draining process limits the amount of water they can bring home and steals their time.

"The water points in the area are not sustainable because they run low and dry up as the drought season progresses. The borehole water kiosks are also closed during most days of the week due to water shortage, and when water is available, every community member comes to fetch water, leading to overcrowding. They also need to purchase the water at 5 Ksh per 20-liter jerrycan, which is costly considering that residents are mostly farmers who reap very little from their farms due to drought," shared Field Officer Alex Koech.

53-year-old Margaret Munyalo sacrifices much of her time and energy to collect a bare minimum amount of water. The time she spends steals from her livelihood and her children's chance to get a good education.

Margaret.

"I have had to wait for water in the past year for two days. This delay was primarily due to the limited capacity of the borehole water kiosks, which frequently run dry during the dry season. The need to purchase water from distant sources also contributes to the long wait times, as transportation could be delayed, especially during peak demand periods," shared Margaret.

Margaret is trepidatious about the long walk to the well. "The available water is located far away, and walking there through the bushes is dangerous because of poisonous snakes."

As a farmer, it's crucial for her to work to ensure a healthy crop, but when she spends most of her day waiting for water, she can't work. The water crisis has devastated her income.

Installing a sand dam in her community will give Margaret a nearby water source, which will be a total game-changer in her life. She'll have time to care for her farm and her children. Her income will be increased and she will have the tools to thrive.

"I would spend my money on basic household commodities and paying school fees for my children," shared Margaret when we asked how a new waterpoint would change her life.

Margaret collects water at the distant well.

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: Kasithyu Community Sand Dam Complete!

Kasithyu 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've also built a 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.

Prominah Kimanzi, 53, is a local farmer and the secretary of the Yuio Self-Help Group. This sand dam has inspired hope for a brighter future for her and her community.

"I hope this new waterpoint will bring an end to the long queues and overcrowding we used to experience at the few water kiosks in our area. In the past, these kiosks would often run dry, especially during drought, and when they did have water, it was expensive for most of us farmers. This new source will give us reliable access to water for our homes, farms, and livestock, saving time and energy while improving our daily lives," she shared.

Ms. Kimanzi.

Ms. Kimanzi continued, "With reliable water, we will be able to grow vegetables for food and for sale, helping us feed our families and boost our income. Our children will no longer waste time queuing for water or walking long distances to fetch it, which means they can focus more on their studies and achieve their dreams. Clean water means better health for everyone, allowing both adults and children to stay strong and productive."

Sand Dam Construction

The members of the Yuio 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.

Excavating and making way for the timber structure.

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.

The timber skeleton.

Finally, we dismantled the vertical timber beams and left the dam to cure. This dam measures 37 meters long and 4 meters high and required 560 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!

The completed sand dam awaits the rains!

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.

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.

Mwaniki Wane, 65, the Chairperson of the Yuio Self-Help Group, participated in the training. He eagerly shared the impact of the training.

Mr. Wane.

"This training has touched on different hygiene domains that should be practiced because they’ll help in disease prevention. From the content, the training is more of prevention than curative. It has taught us hygienic practices, like food hygiene, water treatment, cleanliness of water sources, environmental hygiene, personal hygiene, domestic hygiene, and the supporting infrastructure that helps achieve these hygienic practices," said Mr. Wane.

He enjoyed the soapmaking session as well. They were already making their own soap, but it didn't last long. The new recipe they learned in training is a more sustainable option for them!

"The soap-making procedure was also helpful to us since we follow a different option, thus making the result different from what we’ve gotten today, which doesn’t have a long lifespan. We will be ambassadors of hygiene, and other community members will learn from us, and that way we will be a disease-free community," Mr. Wane continued.

Field Officer Alex Koech happily shared, "Their (the community's) enthusiasm during the construction of the sand dam—mobilizing local materials and offering unskilled labor—demonstrated their dedication to improving their community. With continued support and the knowledge they've gained, this group is well positioned to maintain hygiene standards, make good use of the new water point, and improve their livelihoods."

Thank you for making all of this possible!

January, 2026: Exciting Progress in Kasithyu Community!

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

Kasithyu Community A

Project Status

Community Profile