Published in October 2025

From water scarcity to restoring hope in their village with sand dams. Gadi Shelo and Gore Balto from Tulungo Village, Bena Tsemay woreda (district) in Ethiopia share their stories with Sand Dams Worldwide.

Gadi Shelo (36-year-old mother of three) and Gore Balto (48-year-old father of six) are both agro-pastoralists in Tulungo Village, Ethiopia. Like many agro-pastoralists, their livelihoods depend on livestock rearing alongside crop production, both of which were made difficult with the water situation in their village. Gore describes to us what water collection was like before the sand dam:

“Both people and livestock drank from the same river. The water was dirty and often caused disease. In the dry season, the riverbed dried out completely, forcing families to walk four to five hours to reach the nearest water source. That water was shared by people from more than six kebeles (equivalent to neighbourhoods), leading to long queues, conflicts, and exhaustion.”

Gadi explains what sicknesses her family endured due to sharing water with livestock and the consequences walking for hours on end for water had on her family, specifically her children. Her account serves as a reminder that water scarcity affects so many aspects of life, at all stages of life, from health to early education:

“We used to spend hours collecting water (from stagnant ponds and rivers) that often made our children sick. Diarrhoea was reoccurring and our children suffered hunger, thirst and even dropped out of school.”

During long drought periods, suffering from the lack of a clean, safe and nearby water source, got worse. Four years ago, a devastating drought hit Tulungo Village, drying the surrounding environment. This drought wiped out much of the community’s livestock. Without water for drinking and grass for the animals to graze, calves and lactating cows, critical to household survival, died. Gore recounts the distress during this trying time:

“Families faced hunger, malnutrition, and had to watch their animals waste away.”

The turning point came when Gadi and Gore, alongside other Tulungo villagers, were supported by Sand Dams Worldwide and our partner in Ethiopia, Action for Development (AFD), to construct their sand dam, receive drought-tolerant, short-maturing crop seeds and  training focused on improving agronomic practices. Training covered land preparation, seedbed management, mulching, harvesting and proper storage. Gadi explains how embracing this new knowledge has changed her life and given her new aspirations:

“I never thought I could grow vegetables in such a way. Now I can feed my family fresh produce, and I dream of becoming a supplier to the local market in the future.”

Gadi Shelo, agro-pastoralist from Tulungo Village in Ethiopia.

Having implemented AFD’s recommendations, Gore has found major success with peas - finding them to be resilient in dry conditions and a multi-purpose crop that feeds both his family and his livestock. Unlike previous years when livestock weakened during droughts, focusing on drought-tolerant seeds has helped to improve the situation. Gore says:

“Unlike the past, when we lost livestock during droughts, today I have feed to keep my animals strong and ready for market.”

Alongside a focus on improving agriculture, both Gadi and Gore benefitted from poultry support, with Gadi noting that the sale of eggs saves her ETB 1,500 (around £7) which she would usually use to buy eggs from local markets. Gore shares his experience with poultry:

“I received 10 chickens. Our household nutrition improved thanks to vegetables and eggs. Poultry has provided eggs for both food and income, ensuring my children have had access to more nutritious meals.”

Gore Balto, agro-pastoralist from Tulungo Village in Ethiopia.

This project has also strengthened the community in terms of knowledge sharing amongst each other. Gadi has taken to volunteering as a model farmer; the skills she has gained from AFD she now shares with four other people, encouraging them to try vegetable and fruit production on their own plots. Gadi has become a role model to those in her community.

Summarising their sand dam project, Gore speaks positively about his experience:

“This project has not only improved out food and income but has also given us a better future.”

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