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September 2024 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

Hear from the volunteers and Uiini community members from our September 2024 sand dam expedition in Kenya; supported by our local partner, the Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF).

Austin, ASDF Field Manager

Cheryl, expedition volunteer

Chris, expedition volunteer

Dan, expedition volunteer

Ian, expedition volunteer

Michelle, expedition volunteer

Christine, community member

Debra, expedition volunteer

Mitesh, expedition volunteer

Nicki, expedition volunteer

Richard, (former) SDW Fundraising Manager and expedition leader

Bethany, expedition volunteer

Erin, expedition volunteer

David, SDW Chairman and expedition leader

Emily, expedition volunteer

Dave, expedition volunteer

Felistas, community member

Katie, expedition volunteer

Luigi, expedition volunteer

Michelle, expedition volunteer

Sammy, expedition volunteer

Sarah, SDW trustee and expedition leader

Toni, expedition volunteer

If you'd like to find out more or join a sand dam expedition, contact [email protected]

Our current appeal: please donate what you can to help communities in Zimbabwe to restore degraded land with sand dams

Please select a donation amount (required)

£20 could contribute towards all the cup seals, a crucial water point component, needed to construct water points for three communities

£50 could contribute towards PVC pipes for three communities’ water points, through which water can flow from their sand dams to their water pump taps

£100 could contribute towards non-return valves for three communities’ water points, helping to control the flow of water from their sand dams

Other

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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.

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.
March 2025 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

In March 2025, Sand Dams Worldwide and a group of volunteers from Jersey, as part of the Jersey Overseas Aid Community Works Project 2025, teamed up to support community members from Kenya to build a sand dam.
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!
June 2023 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

In June 2023, Sand Dams Worldwide and a group of volunteers from Jersey, as part of the Jersey Overseas Aid Community Works Project 2023, teamed up to support community members from Kenya to build a sand dam.
September 2022 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

Sand Dams Worldwide and a group of volunteers teamed up to support community members from Kenya to build a sand dam. The sand dam will go on to provide the community with a local, lifelong supply of clean water, transforming lives and land for generations to come.
June 2022 sand dam expedition with Jersey Overseas Aid

Jersey Overseas Aid Community Works Project volunteers and Sand Dams Worldwide team up once again to support a community in southeast Kenya to build a sand dam that will help transform lives for generations with clean water.
February 2020 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers!

Hear from the Sand Dams Worldwide volunteers who worked together to support the Muka self-help group build a sand dam.
September 2019 sand dam expedition with Jersey Overseas Aid

Jersey Overseas Aid volunteers and community members share highlights from the construction of a sand dam they worked together to build in southeast Kenya in September 2019.
September 2018 sand dam expedition with Barclays Isle of Man

Barclays Isle of Man volunteers and community members share highlights from the construction of a sand dam they worked together to build in southeast Kenya in September 2018.
July 2018 sand dam expedition - hear from the volunteers and the community!

Hear from the Sand Dams Worldwide volunteers and community members who worked together to build a sand dam in southeast Kenya in July 2018.

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.