Jane Kilundo is a member of the Kakai self-help group in Kenya. Here, she tells us more about what sand dams mean for her.

“We have built two sand dams with support from Sand Dams Worldwide and the Africa Sand Dam Foundation. Before the sand dams we were fetching water from very far and the environment was very dry. We were not farming vegetables.

“Now the environment is green. We are growing vegetables and we are getting water and the environment has changed at large.

"We have planted mango trees and shade trees and we have been working here at the tree nursery planting more fruit trees... My children will no longer be getting sick and they will have good health."

Jane Kilundo, Kakai Self Help Group, Kenya.

“We use the water for vegetable farming, the livestock drink from the sand dams, and we have a shallow well where we get water for domestic use. We are growing tomatoes, cabbage and peas.

“Before the sand dams, we couldn’t grow any vegetables. We used to buy our vegetables from very far – we depended on cabbages from Kikuyu land (central Kenya). Without these, we had no other vegetables to feed on.

“We plan to build more sand dams to grow more cabbage and tomatoes. We have a pilot farm which is doing well so we plan to expand. We have planted mango trees and shade trees and we have been working here at the tree nursery planting more fruit trees.

“I have four children. The health of my children is going to change because now they have good food to eat. They are having cabbage and tomatoes to eat with ugali (cornmeal porridge). Previously they would take ugali and juice from baobab trees, which is not very nutritious.

“My children will no longer be getting sick and they will have good health.”

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