Last year Sand Dams Worldwide started a new 3-year project in Mozambique, together with our partners the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM), to support 10 communities to become water and food secure. During this first year, communities constructed four sand dams and received training on improved agricultural techniques. CCM conducted the first annual survey with the four communities involved in the project so far, and the results have been striking.

First and foremost, the average time to collect water across all four communities has reduced by 2.4 hours, with one community saving an average of six hours every day. This is predominantly because they are spending significantly less time queuing at the water sources to collect water.

Two of the communities also now have a secure water source for 12 months of the year. As the sand dams continue to mature over the coming rainy seasons, it is likely that all four communities will have year-round water.

“With this sand dam we are able to grow vegetables, something that we have never been able to do before..."

Jocinto Farnela, farmer from the Nhansato community, Mozambique.

Results have been even more impressive in terms of agriculture. All four communities have seen very significant increases in agricultural yield.  

The average amount of sorghum harvested by each farmer in the four communities increased by 172kg. The average amount of beans harvested per farmer increased by 86kg, while maize increased by 149kg and groundnuts by 128kg. 

These increases in crop yields are vitally important in trying to provide enough food for farmers and their families to eat. As a result of the trainings provided by CCM, and the water from the sand dams, the communities have three fewer ‘hunger months’ each year. A ‘hunger month’ is a month where the communities have less than two meals per day due to the shortage of food. As the sand dams continue to fill with water, and the farmers continue to grow vegetables more reliably, the number of hunger months is expected to reduce even further.

Jocinto Farnela from Nhansato community explains what this means for him: “With this sand dam we are able to grow vegetables, something that we have never been able to do before. I think I will have a good harvest this season. I will have enough to eat and hopefully enough to sell. I think I will be able to buy some basic needs, and also some school fees and school materials, and maybe even some new clothes.”

Please help support farmers like Jocinto to grow more food for themselves and their families by donating here: