Transforming Mission: Water in Kitonguni

Kitonguni Community Water Weir

Africa Brotherhood Church Maiani, Kenya

Water is fundamental to life. Without it nothing in creation lives.
But for many communities in Africa, access to water is a great struggle.

In Kenya, twenty-five percent of the population lack access to clean drinking water. In the community of Kitonguni, for instance, women like Esther used to walk four-hours a day to carry water from a stream to her home.

"Bringing water to my home use to take me so long, and when I returned home I was exhausted and hungry from climbing the hills with water from the stream. Thanks to the help of CBM, and the ABC Church, I can now go out and bring water home in twenty minutes. And the water is sweet, never dirty."

Esther and her community benefited from the construction of a sand dam, or "water weir", constructed with the help of the Canadian Baptist Ministries' partnership with the Africa Brotherhood Church in Kenya. Esther's group of forty-eight neighbours pulled together to help build the dam that is bringing new life into their community.

Canadian Baptists Randy and Cheryl Vandervene 

visiting with members of the Kitonguni 

Community Based Organization

Sand dams are not a new technology. In fact, they are based on an ancient Roman approach to capturing and purifying rain water in arid areas. In the hill country of Ukambani, Kenya, communities like Kitonguni receive 150 millimetres of annual rainfall, but most of it rushes away in heavy rains that carry water and top soil down seasonal mountain streams away from the people living on the hillsides. 

Walking on water. 

After constructing a reinforced stone and cement dam wall, the people of Kitonguni started to see sand and gravel become trapped behind the wall in there community. And with the sand there was a lot of water. Soon fine silt was washed over the wall, but the heavy sands remained trapping precious water.

When you first see a sand dam, it appears as if the dam has failed. People can walk a kilometre back and walk on fifteen feet of captured sand, but just under the surface is an abundance of fresh water.  

The genius of the sand dam is that it safely stores large amounts of water protecting it from contaminants and evaporation. Once the rains have ended, people like Esther can dig a foot down into the loose sand and find fresh water.

Months later, the community will move below the dam and dig into the lower river bed to find more fresh water that has been sifted through the sand.

"We are thankful for the project," shared project chairman Sammy Mulandi. "We have come a long way. It use to be very dry, but since the dam was built you can see how green it is here. We are growing food, everyone has a garden. People use the water for the kettle, for cooking, for washing, for livestock, for gardens and even construction. Before it took a walk of two kilometres to find water, but now it is right here at our feet."

Learn More about Sand Dams: Sand dams voted best solution in water crisis debate

Read more: A Snapshot of Drinking Water and Sanitation in Africa

Cheryl Vandervene receiving a gracious gift 

from ABC farmer David Mutwota

Farmers, like David, have benefitted from increased access to water in his community. Along with the introduction of the water weir, he is using training on poultry farming and fruit tree tree grafting to provide for his family and care for his grand children. 

In appreciation for the change that the CBM/ABC project has brought into his family, David gave us one of his hens to pass onward to another family in need. 

 Julius Kiyoko serving as the food security program officer for the 

Africa Brotherhood Church'a community development department.

"Water is the key," shared Julius. "A student needs a book, but a farmer needs water. My prayer for the future of Ukambani is that everyone will have access to water. Everyone has land, but without water they can not grow food. With water there is abundance!"

Please pray for the people of Kitonguni and the region of Ukambani.
Pray for improved access to water for other communities in this region.
Pray for leaders like Julius, who are working with local farmers encouraging them in faith and conservation agriculture.