Published in August 2025

Two community members gave us insight into how the Nyanthumbi community, with the assistance of Sand Dams Worldwide (SDW) and our Malawian partner, Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD), have been able to overcome public health challenges in their area through a sand dam project.

Madalitso Matias (pictured above), 38, and Sitelia Moyo, 33, used to face many health-related challenges as a result of water scarcity in their community. Experiencing constant health setbacks such as waterborne diseases, physical ailments, and poor nutritional health, were key motivators for them engaging with their local sand dam project, after learning that sand dams are an effective way to improve public health by providing a reliable source of clean water.

Madalitso shares that one of the biggest challenges was the journey to their previous water source, since they were not always able to predict how much water would be available and whether it would be of good quality:

“In the past, women faced the hard task of travelling considerable distances to access water from boreholes. During certain times of the year, especially the dry season, the water source would run low or even dry up completely. In such situations, we had to adapt by either rationing water carefully or seeking alternative water sources, which involved travelling even further distances.”

Sitelia expanded further on the health issues she faced as a result of the difficult journey to collect water:

“By the end of the day, I often found myself coping with headaches after undertaking lengthy journeys in the sun to fetch water. Additionally, a fellow member of our community once required medical attention after experiencing severe backaches, which were attributed to the strain of travelling long distances to water sources.”

Sitelia affirms that not only was the journey far and potentially unproductive, but was also cause of great anxiety for many people:

“From October to November each year, our boreholes would cease to provide water. This meant we had to resort to collecting water from unclean sources. It used to take me two hours to fetch water each time. It was risky too because we had to wake up very early in the dark and there was always a fear of encountering robbers or facing an attack.”

There was a mutual concern for community health when Madalitso and Sitelia recounted their life before the sand dam. They explained that they would often be forced to either drink unclean water or face not being able to drink any water at all. Madalitso describes the issues this created for their health:

“Many individuals, including myself and those within my community, experienced various health issues because of water scarcity. Common illnesses included dehydration, waterborne diseases such as cholera, and skin infections from lack of proper hygiene. This often led to our children missing school, hindering their education. The lack of proper sanitation facilities in schools also posed challenges with hygiene, increasing the risk of illness among students and staff.”

The impact of water scarcity on people’s health becomes even greater when considering the implications for food availability. Madalitso shines a light on this:

“The lack of water had a profound impact on both growing produce and cooking food for my family. Without an adequate water supply, our ability to cultivate crops was severely hampered, leading to reduced yields and limited variety in the types of produce we could grow. This would affect our nutrition with a lack of diversity of our meals; even when we ate, it might not provide the range of nutrients for a healthy diet.”

Since the introduction of a sand dam to Nyanthumbi, communities are now able to access clean and safe water much closer to their homes. Sitelia and Madalitso say they have observed a trend towards better health in their community since they began their sand dam projects. As Madalitso says:

"Since gaining access to clean water from the sand dam, both my personal health and the wider health of the community have improved significantly. This includes a decrease in waterborne diseases. Access to clean water has eliminated the need to consume contaminated water from unreliable sources. The children have better health now and miss fewer school days.” 

Sitelia also notices that the children are healthier and reaping the benefits of the clean water from the sand dam:

“The water sourced from the sand dam is safe and good to drink. I can quickly fill my buckets, sometimes even in the afternoon, to ensure my family has enough water for the next morning, preventing any delays in getting to school. With this safe water, young children are spared from waterborne illnesses, and I am optimistic that it will continue to greatly enhance our lives.” 

Sitelia Moyo, member of the Nyanthumbi community in Malawi.

We concluded the conversation by asking both community members how they felt about being a part of the project and asking them to share any reflections they had about its impact. They expressed feelings of gratitude and fulfilment, with Sitelia saying:

“The sand dam is truly valuable... I take pride in my involvement in its construction, from its foundation to its completion. By not missing a single day of dam building, I consider myself to be a success!”

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