My Coins Count – and they can build a sand dam

...you can help bring clean drinking water to families in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique through building sand dams.

Funds collected this year through My Coins Count (formerly Penny Power) will support MCC water projects. That means you can help bring clean drinking water to families in Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique through building sand dams.

Sand dams are the most cost-effective form of rainwater harvesting, a way to provide communities with a clean, local and reliable source of water – even during periods of drought. Sand dams store up to 20 million liters of water and provide a year-round supply for up to 1,000 people, with virtually zero operation and maintenance costs. By storing water under sand, the water is protected from contamination and evaporation – cleaner water that lasts longer. Access to water provides options to garden to improve health for hungry families.

Did you know there’s an Oregon connection to sand dams? MCC water engineer Jon Viducich, who has worked with sand dams in Mozambique, is from Hillsboro, and he’s now a water resource graduate student at Oregon State University! ■