Kwame and the Sand-Dam
A brave boy builds a sand-dam and brings water back to his village.
From “Combatting Water Scarcity Across Africa” · ages 6–10
Kaya & Rain-Collection
When the village well runs dry, Kaya sets off on a quest to save the rain.
Read the story
In the heart of Africa, between rolling hills and golden savannas, there was a small village. There, the sun painted the sky orange and pink.
In this village lived a lively girl named Kaya. She had curly hair and a smile that could light up the darkest night. Kaya was curious about everything!
One day, Kaya skipped along the dusty path to the well. Something strange caught her eye. The well used to bubble with water. Now it was silent and still, like a secret waiting to be found.
Puzzled, Kaya put her hand into the empty well-bucket. To her surprise, it came out completely dry!
"Drought," whispered the village elder. She was a wise woman with eyes full of old stories. "The rain does not come like it used to. We are running out of water, my dear."
Kaya wanted to bring the water back, so she decided to go on a quest. With an old map and a heart full of hope, she set off into the unknown. She left her warm, cosy village behind.
Her journey took her across wide, dry lands. The ground crunched under her feet like toasted breadcrumbs.
Along the way, she met some funny creatures: a chatty lizard with wrinkly skin, and a wise old tortoise who spoke in riddles.
Kaya walked deeper and deeper. She found a very old grove of trees, guarded by the Tree of Whispers. Kaya sat quietly and listened for many days. Then its leaves rustled and told her the secrets of the changing climate.
"Child of the sun," it said softly, "the rain has become shy, and the rivers are much smaller than before. But you can make a change. Show your people how to save the rainwater."
Kaya went home and gathered the villagers. Together they found clever ways to save water: they planted greens and collected rain in giant basins.
The children learned Kaya's important lesson. They had fun helping to collect the water.
They also made shared gardens that needed only a little water.
The clouds had been shy, but now they were brave. They let go of a big shower of raindrops! The villagers danced in the fresh rain. Kaya stretched her hands up to the sky and felt the cool drops on her skin.
Kaya's quest had brought the water back. It also showed how strong people can be when a whole community works together to change things.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Words to learn
- Basins
- Big, wide bowls for holding water.
- Climate
- The usual weather of a place over many years. When the climate changes, rain can come less often.
- Drought
- A long time with little or no rain, when rivers and wells dry up.
- Grove
- A small group of trees growing together.
- Necessity is the mother of invention
- When we really need something, we think up clever new ideas to get it!
- Quest
- A long journey to find something important.
- Rainwater
- Rain that we catch, in barrels, basins or tanks, so we can use it later.
- Savanna
- Wide, grassy land with a few trees, where it is warm all year. Much of Africa is savanna.
- Well
- A deep hole dug into the ground to reach water hidden underneath. People lower a bucket to bring the water up.
- Well-bucket
- The bucket people lower on a rope into a well to pull up water.
What would you do?
Kaya's village learned to save the rain. Necessity is the mother of invention: when we really need something, we think up clever new ideas! If the well in your village ran dry, what would you do?
- Put barrels and basins out to collect the rain Just like Kaya's village! Every rain shower can fill your basins for the dry days.
- Grow a garden that needs only a little water Smart! Plants that need little water, and mulch to keep the soil damp, save lots of water.
- Cover water containers so it doesn't dry up Good thinking! A lid stops the sun from drying up the water and keeps it clean.
- Invent something new to catch more rain That's the spirit! When we need water, we invent new ways to get it: maybe a gutter, a funnel, or something nobody has thought of yet!
More stories from this book
Zara and the Aqua-Cleaner
Young inventor Zara builds a clever machine to make the murky river clean.