to Machakos County
In the ASAL regions of Machakos County spanning Yatta, Mwala, Kathiani, Masinga and Machakos sub-counties, water scarcity has historically been one of the most severe barriers to human dignity and economic progress. NACODEV's water harvesting programme has fundamentally changed this reality for tens of thousands of families. Beginning with community mobilisation and technical training, NACODEV worked with local groups to identify optimal sites for sub-surface dams, earth dams, water pans and shallow wells structures that capture seasonal rainwater and hold it well into the dry months. Communities contributed their own labour, time and local materials, building ownership and ensuring long-term maintenance of each structure. The programme has constructed 171+ sub-surface dams, 8+ communal earth dams, 16+ medium earth dams, over 640 water pans and more than 7 shallow wells. Together, these structures have enabled 6,598 households to access sufficient water for domestic use, irrigation and livestock production. The organisation continues to work towards its target of 10,500+ households with sufficient water access. Every dam, every pan, every well represents a community that no longer walks hours for water. Families investing their freed time in farming, education and building better futures. Read the full story →
Opening the Doors of
Education
NACODEV has been assisting more than 450 needy children access education and ensuring sustainable and improved households in Ikombe Ward. The programme recognises that education is the most durable investment a community can make and that keeping vulnerable children in school requires addressing the entire household, not just the child's fees. Guardians of orphans and vulnerable children have been trained in small-scale poultry keeping and horticultural production, creating reliable household incomes that sustain school attendance term after term. Children receive school bags, uniforms, exercise books and regular health check-ups, removing the material barriers that push them out of the classroom. Beyond supporting existing schools, NACODEV has initiated and sponsored four secondary schools: Bishop Paul Mutua High School in Kinyaata, Ting'ang'a High School, Good Hope High School in Kilaatu, and Emmanuel Secondary School in Muusini. These institutions transformed the secondary education landscape in communities where the nearest secondary school was previously a long and costly journey away. The establishment of Ebecosma Academy at Ngangani RGC has added a further early childhood and primary education option. For every child who stays in school because of this programme, the cycle of poverty is interrupted. Read more →
since 2002
initiated
Ikombe Ward
Clean Water Through
Bio-Sand Filter Technology
NACODEV has enabled 4,000 plus households to access quality, clean, safe drinking water through the construction and installation of bio-sand water filter technology in Ikombe and Katangi wards of Yatta Sub-County, in partnership with Team Hope International. Bio-sand filters are slow-sand filtration units built from locally sourced materials that remove bacteria, parasites and sediment from household water with remarkable effectiveness and minimal ongoing cost. Each filter was installed in family homes where children were routinely falling ill from contaminated water drawn from unprotected sources. Within months, communities reported visible reductions in diarrhoea and typhoid cases. Hygiene education sessions led by trained community health promoters taught households about handwashing at critical moments, safe water storage and latrine use. Sanitation facilities were also constructed at school compounds, with girls' latrines designed for menstrual hygiene management; keeping teenage girls in school through the full month. Communities with bio-sand filters have become hubs for hygiene awareness, as households share knowledge with neighbours and the practice spreads organically. Over 3,800+ households across Machakos County have now received filters, making clean drinking water a daily reality for families who had known nothing but illness from contaminated sources.
Ikombe & Katangi
county-wide
Dry Land Farming and
Food Security in the ASALs
NACODEV empowered 2,800+ farmers by 2010 through sustainable agriculture and capacity building to adopt new farming technologies as a means of mitigating food insecurity in Yatta and Mwala Sub-Counties. This project was funded by Food Resource Bank through Dorcas Aid International. Dry land farming in semi-arid regions requires both the right crop varieties and the right techniques — knowledge historically out of reach for smallholder farmers. NACODEV addressed this through structured training, demonstration plots, farmer field schools and direct linkages with KALRO, ensuring research-backed knowledge reached farming groups directly. Farmers were trained in moisture-conservation techniques, mulching, conservation tillage and intercropping systems that maximise productivity under low and unreliable rainfall. The seed bulking initiative enables farmers to access quality, drought-tolerant seeds each season without dependency on expensive commercial suppliers, building resilience into the food system itself. Farmers trained in drip irrigation technology have expanded into horticulture during dry periods, diversifying income and improving household nutrition. The adoption of improved farming technologies across 5,580 livelihood beneficiaries has translated into measurable reductions in hunger during lean seasons, more varied diets, and surplus production sold at local markets.
in dry land farming
beneficiaries
From Ten Cows
to 500+ Dairy Farmers
NACODEV started an on-farm trial with ten dairy cows and seventeen dairy goats in the ASAL areas of Ngangani and Muthetheni communities in 1999 — an initiative that has since grown to over 500 farmers in both Mwala and Yatta sub-counties adopting dairy-keeping technology. The programme began from the observation that indigenous cattle breeds, though hardy, produced very little milk; insufficient for household nutrition and offering nothing for market sale. Crossbreeding indigenous animals with improved dairy breeds through artificial insemination made it possible for smallholder farmers to keep productive dairy animals without sacrificing the drought resilience of local genetics. Each farmer received practical training in animal husbandry covering feeding, disease prevention, milk hygiene and financial record-keeping. Those with zero-grazing units were supported in fodder production using irrigated napier grass, directly connecting NACODEV's water harvesting programme to livestock productivity. Families with dairy animals have a reliable daily income from milk sales even when crops fail due to drought. The 500+ farmer milestone in Mwala and Yatta represents 500+ families with a productive asset that provides stability and income across generations in communities where economic security has historically been fragile.
dairy technology
trial began
Awareness, Care and
Community Facing HIV/AIDS
NACODEV's HIV and AIDS prevention and awareness programme has addressed one of the most persistent and devastating health challenges facing communities in Machakos County. The programme's goal is to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS infections through awareness campaigns, mobile voluntary counselling and testing services, and ongoing support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Mobile VCT services brought testing within reach of communities that had no realistic access to static health facilities — removing logistical and social barriers that historically kept people from knowing their status and accessing treatment. Community health promoters deliver non-discriminatory sensitisation sessions at schools, churches and community gatherings, countering stigma and providing accurate information on transmission, prevention and living positively with the virus. People living with HIV/AIDS are supported to form mutual care groups where members share experiences, support one another emotionally and access practical guidance on nutrition and treatment adherence. NACODEV's holistic approach recognises that HIV/AIDS cannot be addressed in isolation: food insecurity, poor hygiene and lack of education all increase vulnerability. By integrating HIV/AIDS awareness with its water, nutrition and education programmes, NACODEV ensures communities are more resilient on every front. Read more →
reached
Machakos County
Water Harvesting Locations Across Machakos County
The map below shows the locations of NACODEV's water harvesting projects sub-surface dams, earth dams, water pans and shallow wells across Yatta, Mwala, Kathiani, Masinga and Machakos sub-counties. Each marked location represents a community that now has reliable access to water.
The sub-surface dam changed everything for our group. We now grow vegetables year-round and sell at the market. Hunger used to be a season; now it is a memory.
Because of NACODEV, my three children stayed in school even after their father passed. The guardian support programme gave me the means to keep them there every term.
When NACODEV brought the bio-sand filter, I stopped boiling water for every meal. The children stopped getting sick every rainy season. That filter paid for itself many times over.