Soil: the life beneath our feet
The maintenance of fertile soil is one of the most vital ecological services the living world performs. It is the foundation of all terrestrial life, from plants to animals, and people. But, in drylands, drought and desertification transforms 12 million hectares of land into new man-made deserts each year.
Back to our roots
Simon Maddrell, Excellent Development's Executive Director, first visited Kenya in 1985. It was then that he met Joshua Mukusya, a development worker, and found his passion for Sand Dams. Here, Simon recalls that time and how it felt when he recently returned to taste the water from the first Sand Dam he helped to build.
Building Resilience to Climate Change
As climate change negotiations come to a close in Doha, we received this article from Joe Kioko, Communications Manager at our strategic partners Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF) in Kenya, on how ASDF are working with farmers to build resilience to climate change in drylands.
Fish for Thought
Fish are a vital source of protein for people around the world. Yet, for poor rural communities living in drylands, fish can be hard to come by or prohibitively expensive. That’s why, with our partners, Africa Sand Dam Foundation (ASDF), we are supporting Self Help Groups to establish small scale fish ponds.
Soil and water conservation
Lack of water is the biggest threat to the lives of people living in dryland Africa. In addition, soil erosion further threatens their ability to grow enough food to eat. In this short film, we expalin how communities work together to conserve soil and water to create true self-help development.
The benefits and impacts of our work
The challenges faced by people living in drylands are great and many: Water and food insecurity; erosion and land degradation; climate change and disaster. All are connected. All result in poverty. Sand dams are a key solution to these problems. Find out more about the benefits and impacts of what we do...










