In September 2026, I’ll be joining colleagues on the Barclays Sand Dam Expedition in partnership with Sand Dams Worldwide, a charity dedicated to transforming lives in drought-prone regions of Kenya. Together, we’ll work alongside local communities to build a sand dam—a simple yet powerful structure that captures and stores rainwater beneath sand, providing lifelong access to clean water for hundreds of people.

Why This Matters
Across drylands, water scarcity is a daily struggle. Women and children often spend 6–12 hours a day fetching water from unsafe sources, leaving little time for education or farming. Climate change is making this worse, with longer droughts and crop failures.

A sand dam changes everything:
- Stores up to 40 million litres of water safely underground, enough for over 1,000 people.
- Reduces waterborne diseases and improves health.
- Frees time for education and farming, helping families grow food and earn income.
- Builds climate resilience, restoring vegetation and ecosystems.

Why I’m Fundraising
Every donation goes directly towards building these dams and training local people to maintain them, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Your support will help:
- Provide clean water for drinking, farming, and livestock.
- Empower communities to break free from poverty.
- Create a future where children can attend school and families can thrive.

Examples of impact:

£30 buys 4 bags of cement.
£50 buys a roll of barbed wire to reinforce the dam.
£110 buys 25 metal shovels for construction.

Emma Isabelle