Our solution

Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF) is a Kenyan non-governmental organization (NGO) that works with communities through registered Self-Help Groups to create lasting water, food, and income security while promoting environmental and soil conservation, as well as sustainable natural resource management.

ASDF operates in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), specifically in Machakos, Makueni, Kitui, Tharaka Nithi, and Kajiado counties. We also operate in other African countries such as Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

Through its community-led approach, ASDF works with communities to build lasting resilience to drought and climate change while improving the well-being and economic opportunities of vulnerable households.

Promoting Water Security

In arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya, most rivers are seasonal and only flow during the rainy seasons, drying completely once the rains end. Community members in these marginalised regions rely on drawing water from these rivers through digging of scoopholes where they often access unclean, contaminated water which leads to the contraction of water borne diseases. Additionally, during the drought periods, these community members, mostly women and girls, have to walk for long distances. ASDF solves the issue of water insecurity by implementing rain water harvesting structures such as sand dams along seasonal rivers, school water tanks in schools, rock catchments in the remote areas with no rivers and solar powered water distribution pipeline systems to distribute water to villages and households from the rivers using solar energy.

A sand dam is a reinforced concrete wall built across a seasonal river that traps rainwater and sand behind the wall. During the rainy season, 25-40% of rain water is stored beneath the sand protect it from evaporation and contamination. This usually accounts to 2-100 million liters of water depending on the size of the sand dam. Communities are able to access clean water throughout the year without any outages via various abstraction methods such as shallow wells or solar powered water pipeline distribution systems. To implement the solar powered water pipeline dsitribution systems we build the sand dams with sump tanks which seep water from the river into the tank through gravity, and we insert submersible pumps which use solar energy to pump water from the river into water kiosks at the villages near households. Community members are able to access water within less than 100 meters.

A rock catchment is a rainwater harvesting system that collects runoff from natural rock outcrops. Gutters are installed along the rock surface to channel rainwater into three reinforced concrete storage tanks, each with a capacity of 190,000 litres, providing a reliable source of water for surrounding communities throughout the year.

A school water tank is a 104,000-litre masonry tank constructed in schools to harvest and store rainwater, providing a reliable year-round water supply. This eliminates the burden of children having to carry jerrycans of water to school each day and enables schools to implement and sustain school feeding programmes.

Promoting Food Security 

With reliable access to water, ASDF supports communities to improve household food security and nutrition through climate-smart and sustainable agriculture. Key interventions include:

1. Climate-Smart Agriculture Training- Framers are trained on climate-smart agricultural practices and permaculture. The community members are engaged in establishing demonstartaion plots which are equipped with drip irrigation systems, where farmers learn practical techniques that they can replicate on their farms.Through these demonstration farms, farmers are trained to establish terraces that improve water infiltration and retention, reduce soil erosion, and preserve fertile topsoil. These practices enhance soil health, increase agricultural productivity, and strengthen resilience to drought and climate change. 

2. Drought-Tolerant Crops - ASDF supports farmers by distributing drought-tolerant and climate-resilient seeds, including cowpeas, pigeon peas, sorghum, green grams, millet, and other locally suitable crops. Farmers are also trained in improved crop production, seed selection, and seed preservation through the establishment of community seed banks, helping to enhance food security, strengthen resilience to climate change, and ensure access to quality seed for future planting seasons.

3. Kitchen and Nutrition Gardens - ASDF supports households to establish kitchen gardens, vegetable gardens, and vertical gardens, enabling families to grow a diverse range of nutritious foods throughout the year. By promoting crop diversification, we improve household nutrition, enhance dietary diversity, and strengthen food security. 

4. Use of water efficient Irrigation systems such as drip irrigation and hydroponics which maximise crop production while conserving water. These practices also encourages farmers to adopt these technologies on their own farms.

Promoting Environment Conservation and Natural Resource Management

ASDF promotes environmental conservation and sustainable natural resource management by supporting communities to implement practical, climate-smart interventions. These include digging terraces to reduce soil erosion and improve water retention, tree planting, agroforestry, and landscape restoration to restore degraded land, improve biodiversity, and enhance carbon sequestration. Communities are encouraged to plant indigenous and multipurpose tree species that provide shade, fuelwood, fodder, fruits, and timber while protecting water catchments and improving soil health. We support the establishment of pasture plots to improve livestock production and restore grazing lands, promotes the adoption of energy-saving stoves to reduce fuelwood consumption and deforestation, and trains communities in sustainable land use practices that protect natural resources while strengthening resilience to drought and climate change.

Promoting sustainable Income & resilient livelihoods

ASDF strengthens household livelihoods by equipping communities with the knowledge and skills to improve their well-being and increase their incomes. We train communities in group savings and loaning, sustainable agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and menstrual hygiene management. Communities are also trained in soap making, enabling them to produce and sell soap as an additional source of income. Households generate income by selling surplus produce from their kitchen and vegetable gardens, while livestock improvement initiatives help increase food production and household earnings. We also promote the use of energy-saving stoves to reduce fuel costs and pressure on natural resources.

ASDF supports the establishment of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), where members regularly save together to create a revolving fund. This enables community members to access affordable, low-interest loans to invest in farming, small businesses, education, and other household needs while strengthening a culture of saving and financial independence. These interventions help families improve their health and nutrition, diversify their income sources, build financial resilience, and reduce their vulnerability to drought and climate change.

OUR REACH

Our work has transformed the lives of thousands of households across Kenya’s arid regions. By making water accessible and strengthening community capacity, families now grow more food, generate income, and improve their resilience to climate shocks.