Sand dams deliver clean water, hope to Neno

For decades, residents of the semi-arid Samson Village in Neno District experienced acute water shortages, with boreholes either producing little water or drying up completely during the dry season. As a result, women and girls in this part of Traditional Authority (T/A) Symon were forced to risk their lives by drawing murky water from the crocodile-infested Shire River. Some lost their lives to predator attacks while searching for water.

Enette Kameko, 41, says that from May to October, families depended on the river water for bathing, cooking, washing dishes, drinking, and other household uses. “This dirty water worsened our vulnerability to waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea,” she says. Esther Sandalamu of Chatenga Village in T/A Mlauli recalls spending most of her small income from farming on hospital visits, particularly for her four children.

“Crop yields have been dwindling due to the effects of climate change, leaving us with little money. Yet I had to visit the hospital frequently because of my children’s water-related illnesses, which kept us trapped in poverty,” she says. Kameko adds that women spent many hours fetching water instead of caring for their families or engaging in small-scale businesses.

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The exhausting trips to the river also affected girls’ school attendance through late arrivals or absenteeism, contributing to high dropout rates among girls in the area. However, this has now changed. Women and other residents in the hilly district no longer provide their families with unsafe water from the Shire River, as clean and safe water from boreholes is now available throughout the year.

In 2023, Churches Action in Relief and Development (Card) constructed sand dams—rainwater harvesting technology—across the seasonal sandy riverbeds of Chitimbe and Mulikandodo. The technology stores water and provides communities with potable water throughout the dry season. Today, residents view the Shire River primarily as a resource for irrigation farming along its banks during the dry season, rather than a source of household water.

Kameko says access to clean water from the boreholes has brought peace of mind. “There are no longer long, tiring trips to fetch water from the river. We now have enough time to take care of our families, and children—especially girls—attend school as required,” she says with a smile.

Sandalamu adds that cases of waterborne diseases have virtually disappeared. “We are safer than ever before. This water has improved sanitation and hygiene. The initiative is our source of good health and well-being,” she says.

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