Published in June 2025

We spoke with two members of the Ukilyo wa Iveti Ndoo self-help group (SHG) in southeast Kenya to hear what life was like before their sand dam projects. They told us about the positive shifts they have experienced since collaborating to build two sand dams.

Jacob Mwangangi (a husband and father of 9) and Grace Muhengi (a mother of 6 and carer to 13 other relatives in her home) had long experienced challenges due to the lack of access to a nearby clean water source for themselves and their families. This challenge is what encouraged Grace to be a part of the inception of the Ukilyo wa Iveti Ndoo SHG, that Jacob would later join in 2021.

Jacob explains that one of his biggest challenges before the sand dam was the distance to the nearest water source:

“I used to collect water around 6km from here, so that is 12km going there and back. Different people in our family collect the water, depending on when and if the children were at school. My wife and I would get up in the night, maybe at around 4am, to go and collect the water and we would only get home by 7 or 8 in the morning. The source we were using was scoop holes in the river.”

Not only was the journey far, but it was a cause for concern for Jacob when thinking about his wife and children. He says:

“If the children had to go and collect water then they might get back very late and that affected their schooling. They would be tired at school, which affected their learning and their performance. For women and children to go alone could also be dangerous.”

Grace echoed similar sentiments about the distance but also gave insight into other challenges, including issues with hygiene, farming, and exhaustion:

“We had so many challenges before the sand dams. Hygiene in our families was very poor because you can only carry so much water. That water has to be used for cooking, washing and other household needs, so you can’t even use it to wash yourself. We could not plant any trees either as the water was too little. Travelling far for water in the heat was so tiring that you can’t do anything when you come back home but cook, eat and sleep.”

With the introduction of sand dams, Jacob explains the positive experience he and his family are now having. He tells us that there is no longer anxiety around sending children to collect water because the source is closer. Furthermore, they no longer have to restrict water use to certain activities considered to be more pressing. Since there is enough water for everything they might need, this means that activities outside of farming can be prioritised. Jacob adds:

“The second dam we built as a group is the one that is very close to my home. The dam is already full of sand and the water is there! It’s around a 10-minute walk for me now to collect my water. You can even send the children to the dam, because it is close, to collect water for everything that we need.”

Both Grace and Jacob have also seen their farming activities take a promising turn. This is important because, like most people in their region, farming is the main source of income for them both. To help them make the most of their new water source, the community is provided with training by our southeast Kenyan partner, the Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF), in climate-smart agriculture techniques. Jacob explains what this has meant for him and his farm:

“I used to mostly grow maize, which struggled when the rains were not good, so learning about drought-tolerant crops was useful. Now I am adopting these in my farm so even when the rains are not good, I cannot fail to harvest.” 

Jacob Mwangangi, member of the Ukilyo wa Iveti Ndoo self-help group in southeast Kenya.

Grace has also diversified her crops and has plans to use the income from selling these crops for a great cause:

“I have started growing pigeon peas and sorghum and I am expecting a good harvest this year. I am aiming to take my second grandchild to secondary school with the money I will make from selling the produce from this harvest.”

Grace leaves us with some final reflections on the sand dams project's capacity to positively change the surrounding landscape, increase incomes, and improve water security. She says:

“When we look at our group, we see that we are more developed. You can see from the faces of the people that they are happy because they have achieved something with their sand dams.”

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Our current appeal: please donate what you can to help communities in Zimbabwe to restore degraded land with sand dams