Finding water is a daily struggle in rural Kenya. Anna Mutungi (left) and Susan Kalatine are among thousands of people whose only source of water is the sandy bed of this river on the eastern edge of Kenya's highlands.

To get water, Anna Mutungi and her neighbors must dig into the sand until a puddle forms. They scoop it out and fill plastic cans to carry home. 

The riverbed is the nearest source of water for miles in every direction. People bring donkeys and other animals to carry their water cans, and the riverbed is polluted with animal droppings. 

Children, like this boy, often end up not going to school when they get sent for water. This is just one of many social problems caused by not having water sources where people live. 

People in the village of Munathi have to walk 4 miles, or 6 kilometers, to fetch water from the sandy riverbed. This chore can take four to six hours and must be done several times a week. 

Last year, the people of Munathi began an ambitious project to build a water source in their village. They decided to build a series of concrete barriers, which are called “sand dams,” to collect water in a gully that runs through the community. 

Working almost every day, someone from each household in Munathi helped to collect the stones, sand and water that would be needed for the construction project. 

This recently finished sand dam in Munathi will collect water that would otherwise wash away quickly when it rains. MCC supported the project by donating money for materials and supervision. 

Over time, the sand dams will transform Munathi as they store large amounts of water underground. In the village of Mathunzuni, where sand dams were built several years ago, Samuel Kiola and other farmers now have enough water for their households and fields. 

Farmers such as Ndeleva Kasyula (foreground) can draw this underground water by installing pumps or digging shallow wells. 

With water from nearby sand dams, Ndeleva Kasyula is raising valuable fruits and vegetables that could not be grown without irrigation. 

Julius Munyao, a water engineer technician with SASOL, an MCC partner organization, stands on top of a sand dam that is under construction. MCC is continuing to work with partner organizations to build sand dams in rural Kenyan communities that need water.