How Sand Dams Are Solving Water Scarcity: Podcast with fundsforNGOs

Published in April 2026

Sand Dams Worldwide were delighted to be invited to speak on the fundsforNGOs Podcast.

In this episode, Jon Lobb interviewed Dwain Lucktung, Communications Manager at Sand Dams Worldwide, about how sand dams work and the long-lasting impact of sand dam projects in drylands.

Please donate what you can and help to empower vulnerable women and girls in drylands to transform their own lives with sand dams and clean water

Please select a donation amount (required)

£25 could provide a dryland farmer with drought-tolerant seeds, to grow a reliable source of fresh food for their children

£50 could provide a roll of barbed wire to reinforce a sand dam, anchoring it to the bedrock

£100 could provide a community with a wheelbarrow and 10 bags of cement, to help them construct their sand dam

Other

Set up a regular payment Donate

Latest

How Sand Dams Are Solving Water Scarcity: Podcast with fundsforNGOs

In an episode of the fundsforNGOs Podcast, Jon Lobb interviews Dwain Lucktung, Communications Manager at Sand Dams Worldwide, about how sand dams work and the impact of sand dam projects in drylands.
February 2026 sand dam expedition with Koy Clothing

In February 2026, a group of volunteers teamed up with Sand Dams Worldwide, Koy Clothing and our local partner, Africa Sand Dam Foundation to support a community in Kenya to build a sand dam. The sand dam was funded by Koy Clothing and their wonderful customers, and will go on to provide the community with a local lifelong supply of clean water.
£22,304.97 raised in our 2026 Big Give Earth Raise campaign. Thank you!

Sand Dams Worldwide is took part in the Big Give’s 2026 Earth Raise campaign (formerly the Green Match Fund), which offered supporters of participating charities the opportunity to have their donations doubled for just seven days. Over £22,000 was raised which will go towards a sand dam project in Tanzania.
Sand dams: empowering women and girls

Please donate what you can to help empower more vulnerable women and girls living in drylands (like Kenyan farmer Martha and her daughter, Faith) to access clean water with sand dams and transform their own lives.

£22,304.97 raised in our 2026 Big Give Earth Raise campaign. Thank you!

Sand Dams Worldwide is took part in the Big Give’s 2026 Earth Raise campaign (formerly the Green Match Fund), which offered supporters of participating charities the opportunity to have their donations doubled for just seven days. Over £22,000 was raised which will go towards a sand dam project in Tanzania.
Vote for Sand Dams Worldwide to win a Water Air Food Award (WAFA)!

Sand Dams Worldwide has been shortlisted for a Water Air Food Award (WAFA) in the Water category. Please vote for us to win before 30th April!
A learning visit between Micaia Foundation and Dabane Trust: connecting Mozambique and Zimbabwe

In September 2025 four members of the team from the Micaia Foundation, who are Sand Dams Worldwide's partner in Mozambique, participated in a learning visit to Zimbabwe to spend a week with the Dabane Trust.
£106,395.92 raised in our 2025 Big Give Christmas Challenge. Thank you!

Sand Dams Worldwide took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge between December 2nd and 9th in 2025, raising £106,395 to fund two sand dams and implement a range of land conservation measures in southern Ethiopia. A big thank you to all who supported the campaign.
Micaia Foundation (Mozambique) achieve sand dam certification!

Our partners in Mozambique, the Micaia Foundation, have been certified in sand dam siting, design and construction, meaning they can now continue construct sand dams in Mozambique independently. In this story we hear from the Micaia team on what this means to them and to our shared goal to scale up sand dam projects.
£58,279 raised in our Big Give Anchor Match Fund appeal!

Sand Dams Worldwide took part in the 2025 edition of the Big Give Anchor Match Fund, with supporters helping to raise over £58,000 for sand dam projects in Malawi!
Remember a Charity Week 2025: How would you like to be remembered?

Find out what SDW had planned for this year's Remember a Charity Week, as we raised awareness of legacy giving, helped supporters who wanted to know more about leaving gifts in their Wills and asked the question - how would you like to be remembered?
Over £40,000 raised by Property Hub's network for a sand dam in Kenya

Property Hub (a UK property investment service) and their network have raised over £40,000 for a community in southeast Kenya to build a sand dam and access clean water for life.
Sand Dams Worldwide joins the 1% for the Planet Environmental Partners network!

We are delighted to share that SDW has been approved to join the 1% for the Planet Environmental Partners network!
Sand Dams Worldwide and the Howden Foundation: working together to transform lives in Malawi

Sand Dams Worldwide is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Howden Foundation, who have pledged over £270,000 towards our sand dam programme in Malawi.

We support communities to build sustainable sand dams in some of the poorest, drought-stricken regions across our world.
What is a sand dam?
Donate

Please click here to donate what you can to transform lives and land with sand dams and clean water.
Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands
Reversing land degradation and desertification

Conservation of the environment is critical to the economic development of people living in drylands.
1 million sand dams for 0.5 billion people by 2050

Read about our plan to directly support other organisations to build sand dams, in turn, realising our vision to support millions of the world’s poorest people by helping them to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.
The challenge

Find out what are drylands, why they are they are such harsh regions to live, how sand dams are applicable in drylands and what difference they can make to over 40% of the world's land surface.
Act Now: Tackle Food Crisis With Sand Dams

Support dryland communities to overcome food shortages, and ensure they can grow enough food to eat and sell. It all starts with ensuring they have access to water. That’s where sand dams come in.
Sand dam manual

For everything you need to know about building sand dams, click here to read (and download for free!), Sand Dams: A Practical & Technical Manual.
Our approach

Find out more about Excellent's approach, from working with self-help groups to why we partner we on-ground, local organisations.