PETERSFIELD online review company Feefo has raised £24,000 for a dam which will provide clean water to thousands of poverty-stricken Kenyans.
The money funded a ‘sand’ dam built by Just a Drop charity, which will transform the lives of 2,860 people in the Kyambenzi community in Kenya by providing clean, safe drinking water.
A sand dam is a reinforced concrete wall built across a seasonal sandy river bed.
Over the years, the area behind the dam fills with water retained by the sand.
The water is retrieved either via traditional scoop holes, or it drains through the sand to a tap, or a sealed shallow well in the valley side.
Feefo collects and analyses reliable online customer feedback to help businesses, among other things, improve their service and identify customer trends.
Over the past year staff at Feefo, based at Heath Farm off Heath Road East, have raised £12,000 towards the sand dam project.
They did this through a series of challenges, such as a sponsored cycle ride, a gruelling Three Peaks Challenge, a three-day car race across Europe, a double marathon and a Tough Mudder cross-country event.
The amount they raised was then matched by company chairman Nick Wheeler, to take the total to £24,000.
Matt Eames, of Feefo ,said: “We are so thrilled to be part of this worthwhile cause.
“Feefo remains committed to it, and will continue to support Just a Drop.”
As part of the project, the Kenyan community also received sanitation and hygiene training, and a food security programme was established by Just a Drop, which, since its launch in 1998, has helped more than 1.4 million people in 32 countries.
This spring, Feefo staff visited Kyambenzi to see how the dam works and meet villagers and school children whose lives it had improved.
Mr Eames said: “It was a huge honour and privilege to visit the project, and meet the people who will benefit from the sand dam.”
Just a Drop spokesman Louise Geoghegan added: “Feefo’s support has changed the community’s lives for the better through the construction of their sand dam. They are able to grow their own drought-resistant crops and sell the surplus at market, which provides a regular source of income.
“With access to clean water, the health of the Kyambenzi community has improved and children can spend more time in school getting an education.
“We work hand-in-hand with communities such as Kyambenzi to implement the best solutions for their needs, such as rainwater harvesting systems, hand-dug and drilled wells, sand dams, water distribution systems, biosand filters, latrines and sanitation and hygiene training.”