Gerry Quinn, Managing Director of Vulcan Engineering, first heard about Sand Dams Worldwide and sand dams in 2009. Working in engineering, he was intrigued by the technology and liked what he found out. Since then, Vulcan has become one of our most loyal corporate supporters, funding sand dam projects for three communities in rural southeast Kenya.

The sand dams built by the Kumina Wauni, Ngoloosi and Nzengu Ngomani self-help groups between 2011 and 2013 are already making a big difference. As the dams mature, clean water is made available to community members within 30 minutes from their homes – a vast improvement from the six or more hours spent previously in the search for water.

The company was also keen to get its employees involved, and 2011 eight members of staff travelled out to Kenya to help the Kumina Wauni self-help group build their sand dam. It was a life-changing opportunity, not just for the community, but the volunteers too, who described it as a truly extraordinary and uplifting experience.

"What initially attracted me to Sand Dams Worldwide [formerly Excellent Development] was a newspaper article which outlined the concept. From that, I could readily understand the practicality and potential of sand dams and the great progress that Sand Dams Worldwide has already made in turning initial ideas into reality."

Gerry Quinn, Managing Director, Vulcan Engineering.

The three sand dams have provided an initial kick start for the three communities. With a little bit of extra training and support, they are now able take their future into their own hands, improving farming methods and diversifying their food production to increase their resilience to droughts and the effects of climate change.

This community-led approach is what attracted Gerry to Sand Dams Worldwide in the first place.

“To me, particularly given the known problem with aid monies in Africa, it’s far better to give people the opportunity and potential, whereby the initial funding can be multiplied many times over by people's enterprise and efforts, and the real importance of unlocking people’s and communities’ potential, rather than making them reliant upon aid”.  

Create lasting change with sand dams - please donate what you can