Sand Dam
Rehabilitation Project
The Muuo wa Kambembe Community has been searching for a lasting answer to water scarcity in a landscape that is bare, rocky, and dusty, with terrain that shifts between steep slopes and flat stretches, crossed by rough paths and roads.
The scoop hole the community relies on.
It was this landscape, and the hardship it created, that first led the group to seek help. After hearing that a nearby community had successfully implemented sand dams and protected dug wells, members of Muuo wa Kambembe reached out to learn how they could get similar support. They tracked down the area field officer's contact, and after several rounds of engagement, their project was approved.
For 300 community members across 80 households, the current reality is defined by scarcity and risk. The group's main sources are an unprotected dug well and a distant scoop hole, both open to contamination from animal waste, dust, and human activity. The water runs brown, with a foul smell and unpleasant taste. Not a single household can reach a safe source within a 30-minute round trip.
Banice Wambui, 51, a farmer in the community, feels this every day. "One can only fetch once daily or after a day or two because of the long distance involved," she said. That single trip already consumes about three hours.
Banice Wambui.
The toll goes beyond time. Banice recounted a recent illness in her household: "Recently, one of my young ones became sick after drinking water from one of our usual sources. They experienced stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and weakness, which made it difficult for them to carry out their normal activities. It was worrying because I know that the water we depend on is not always safe, but I cannot manage to treat every container of water, especially when fetching it already takes so much time and energy." Even modest medical costs become a burden when illness recurs, she explained, pulling money away from food and farming.
Banice collects potentially contaminated water from the scoop hole, one pitcher at a time.
The proposed sand dam is designed to address the root of this struggle. By capturing and storing water within the riverbed sand, it will keep water available even through dry spells, when the existing scoop hole would otherwise fail the community. "A new sand dam will bring water much closer to us and provide a more reliable and protected source," Banice said. "The sand dam will naturally filter and store water, while a properly constructed well will reduce exposure to contaminants. Having water nearby will also reduce the physical strain and risks associated with walking long distances to collect it."
Banice can already picture what reclaimed time would mean for her family: "I would use the time to concentrate more on my household and income-generating activities. I would also have more time to work on my farm, take care of livestock, and spend time with my family. Most importantly, I would no longer have to spend hours walking on the rocky and dusty roads under the hot sun just to get water."
For her, the stakes are simple to state but far-reaching in effect. "To me, water truly is life," she said. "I need it for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, growing food, and caring for my family and livestock. When water is far away or unavailable, almost every part of our lives becomes difficult. Having reliable water nearby would not only improve our health but would also give us more time, better livelihoods, and greater hope for the future." A sand dam at Muuo wa Kambembe would mean more than convenience — it would mean the chance to build toward the goals the community has already set for itself: kitchen gardens, tree planting, stronger livestock production, and security against the dry seasons that have defined life here for so long.
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 a protected 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 protected 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 our team's guidance, the community elects a water user committee representative of its diverse members. This committee assumes responsibility for maintaining the water point, organizing community efforts, and gathering fees to ensure its upkeep.
