David Jordan talks sand dams with Isle of Man TV

Isle of Man TV interview David Jordan OBE, Chairman of Sand Dams Worldwide (formerly Excellent Development), to find out more about the funding by the Isle of Man Government of sand dams in Kenya, which will help thousands of people achieve lifelong access to safe water.

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£30 could provide a dryland farmer with drought-tolerant seeds, to grow a reliable source of fresh food for their children

£60 could provide a community with a roll of barbed wire, to reinforce and strengthen their sand dam during construction

£100 could provide a community 500 seedlings and a spray pump, to protect their trees from insects

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March 2024 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

Sand Dams Worldwide and a group of volunteers teamed up to support community members from Kithumba self-help group in southeast Kenya to build a sand dam. Hear what the volunteers, community and local partners had to say about the experience!
Big Give Green Match Fund campaign: make a donation today!

Sand Dams Worldwide is once again taking part in the Big Give's Green Match Fund campaign, during which you can have your donations doubled!
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Agustin and Julian give a dam

Hi! 18 months later here I am, back at it. Many of you followed my adventure in Kenya with my son Ian back in September '22 and it is now Julian who wants to "give a dam" with me.

"The future looks bright"

From water and food scarcity to lush mango and papaya farms, this community share how their climate-smart agriculture activities have transformed their lives.
“The last three years have been fruitful… there is a wave of change”

Our partners in southeast Kenya report on the progress Wonu Witu self-help group have made since the start of their sand dam project and climate-smart agriculture training.
Sand dam projects keeping communities "young" and healthy

Meet two southeast Kenyan farmers to discuss the impact on the people and their land since their sand dam projects started in 2014.
What a difference a year makes

Sand Dams Worldwide's Communications Manager, Dwain Lucktung, revisits Heka Heka Syomwambya self-help group in southeast Kenya to see what impact their sand dam project has had on community members.
Barclays Isle of Man build a sand dam

Sand Dams Worldwide's Chairman, David Jordan OBE, reviews another successful sand dam expedition, this time with Barclays Isle of Man volunteers who helped to raise £40,000 for a new sand dam in southeast Kenya.
"We feel we now have what was missing”

Through partnering with Africa Sand Dam Foundation and Sand Dams Worldwide (formerly Excellent Development), Woni Witu self-help group's achievements include building four sand dams and three shallow wells, made possible through generous funding from the Isle of Man Government.
Sand Dams Worldwide Isle of Man

Please donate what you can to transform lives with sand dams and clean water.
"These are life-changing projects"

Katelembu Mazingira Initiative self-help group is made up of people from Kithatu village (in Makueni County, southeast Kenya), and they are the proud beneficiaries of our 1,000th sand dam (funded by the Isle of Man Government).
Sand Dams Worldwide meets Manx supporters at Tynwald Day Fair 2018

Highlights from the event, including all the wonderful Manx supporters we met.
Isle of Man Government supports Sand Dams Worldwide (formerly Excellent Development) to provide thousands with water with sand dams

Sand Dams Worldwide IOM (formerly Excellent Development) received £85,609 from the Isle of Man Government – money that will go towards the construction of four new sand dams, providing water security for 5,087 people.

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 donate what you can to transform lives and land with sand dams and clean water.
Reversing land degradation and desertification

Conservation of the environment is critical to the economic development of people living in drylands.
Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's 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.
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.
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.