Published in August 2020

It is said that people come together to help each other when times are bad. This certainly seems to have been the case over the last few months as individuals, communities and countries have been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. There are so many heartwarming stories of people reaching out to help others, taking the time to check that neighbours and friends are well and undertaking extraordinary feats to raise money to help health charities. 

But it’s clear that lending a helping hand happens in good times as well as bad, at home and abroad. The UN estimates that in 2020, nearly 168 million people will need some kind of humanitarian assistance and protection. This is the highest figure in decades. It’s likely the situation will keep getting worse unless global pressures including climate change are tackled. 

That’s where charities like Sand Dams Worldwide come in. Our mission is to help communities adapt to the pressures that climate change is bringing so that vulnerable families living in drylands do not need humanitarian aid, but instead have enough water and food to be self-sufficient and fight disease.

"Without our friends and supporters, we would be unable to carry out our pledge to help those living in arid landscapes get access to clean and dependable water."

And the challenge to provide clean water for people’s basic needs has become even more apparent as a result of this global pandemic. Regular handwashing with soap and water is one of the measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Yet we know that over 2.2 billion people lack clean water accessible in their homes, available when needed and free from contamination.

To achieve their goals, many charities rely on an army of ‘Real Life Heroes’ (something UN World Humanitarian Day is recognising this year). Sand Dams Worldwide is no exception.

Without our friends and supporters, we would be unable to carry out our pledge to help those living in arid landscapes to transform their own lives with access to clean and dependable water. We rely on helping hands to work alongside local communities to build sand dams, raise precious funds so we can undertake our work and champion our cause whenever they get the chance.

So, it’s a big shout out from us this month to all those who support our work in whatever way they can. Thank you.

Please donate and support vulnerable dryland communities to reduce global health threats with sand dams and access to clean water