Published in November 2025

In September four members of the team from Micaia Foundation, who are Sand Dams Worldwide's partner in Mozambique, participated in a learning visit to Zimbabwe to spend a week with Dabane Trust.

Micaia Foundation are supporting communities living in Manica province to construct sand dams, as well as to implement environmental protection techniques and sustainable agriculture (with funding support from the Isle of Man Government).

Dabane are our Zimbabwean partner, and have specific expertise in implementing environmental protection measures alongside sand dams to support the restoration of degraded lands. The learning visit provided an opportunity for the Micaia team to see first-hand some of the measures which Dabane are supporting communities to implement, so that they can introduce similar measures in the areas where they are working, and enhance their training and support for communities.

As well as learning about how Dabane implement the environmental protection measures, during the week Micaia were also able to learn and take part in the installation of a Rowa handpump. The Rowa handpumps have been designed by Dabane as a low-cost water abstraction technology, which are also easily accessible for older people and children who do not have the strength to operate standard handpumps, and have been tested and proven to be accessible to wheelchair users. The visit to Zimbabwe enabled the Micaia team to get some hands-on experience in the installation of Rowa handpumps, so that in the future they can install the Rowas in addition to the more typical handpumps connected to a shallow well (depending on the characteristics of each dam site).

Following the visit, Emmanuel Mulambo, Micaia’s Sand Dam Construction Supervisor (pictured fourth from left in front of a Rowa handpump) said:

“This visit has been an eye-opener. We’ve learned a lot, not just about construction techniques, but also about how communities are engaged throughout the process. I’m very pleased with the experience. It’s been a learning curve for all of us. I was particularly impressed by the use of gabions and the planting of aloe for erosion control. We now have alternative abstraction methods and environmental protection strategies that we’ll transfer to communities around our sand dams in Mozambique.” 

Mehluli Moyo, Dabane’s Water Technician & Mechanic also said:

“The Micaia team were eager to learn and took a very hands-on approach. It’s always encouraging to teach people who genuinely value the knowledge being shared. From Dabane’s perspective, this was a great opportunity to collaborate with another international NGO. The knowledge shared with Micaia could spark interest among other organisations keen to learn and replicate similar interventions.”

And Dabane's Programmes Manager, Joyce Dube concluded:

"As the visit ended, the sense of connection was unmistakable. This was not a farewell, but a continuation. The partnership between Dabane and Micaia is not defined by dates or events, it’s a living relationship, evolving with each shared experience and each community empowered. In a region where climate change affects everyone, this collaboration shows that solutions can be shared. From riverbeds to gardens, from Zimbabwe to Mozambique, the work continues, quietly, steadily, and together."

By facilitating sharing of knowledge amongst our regional partners through learning visits like this, we can help more organisations implement sustainable development projects that promote long-term food and water security and climate resilience for rural dryland communities.

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