Watch how sand dams work

Sand dams are transforming lives around the world. But how do they work? Find out in this animation.

This film is also available with subtitles in:

Arabic

French

German

Hindi

Kamba

Malagasy

Portuguese

Spanish

Latest

Tsavo, Kenya (Partner: Tsavo Trust)

The objectives of the sand dam programme are to both provide year round water for the wildlife living in Tsavo National Park, as well as restore degraded and fragile land through enabling vegetation re-growth.
Excellent Development wins at the Charity Awards 2021!

Excellent wins the International Aid and Development award for our sand dam projects in Africa!
Excellent win 2020 iF Social Impact Prize!

Excellent Development are awarded an International Forum Design GmbH (iF) Social Impact Prize for our sand dam project work in southeast Kenya.
Empower families to feed themselves

We need your help so that we can continue to support more dryland communities to build sand dams and implement climate-smart farming, providing vital food and water supplies to vulnerable families.

Time-lapse of a sand dam being built

Watch as Kwa Voki self-help group build their sand dam in Makueni County, southeast Kenya.
Watch how sand dams work (French)

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands (with French subtitles)
1,000 sand dams - thank you!

Since 2002, Excellent has enabled over 1,000 sand dams in 8 countries, providing clean water for over 1 million people. Hear from some of those people who give a big thank you to all supporters.
Why the Maasai in Kenya need sand dams - Part 1

The people of the Iltirim community in Lekurruki, Kenya, explain why they want a sand dam and the difference it could make...
Why the Maasai in Kenya need sand dams - Part 2

The people of the Iltirim community in Lekurruki, Kenya, continue to explain the different sand dams could make to their lives...
Raincatchers: a film by Al Jazeera

Watch what happened when Al Jazeera paid a visit to our partners in Kenya, Africa Sand Dam Foundation, to learn how sand dams are transforming people's lives.
Who is Excellent Development?

This short film explains who we are and what we do; a charity supporting rural, dryland communities to create food and water security by building sand dams, and conserving water and soil.
Watch how sand dams work (Spanish)

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands (with Spanish subtitles).
Our philosophy and approach

At Excellent Development we pride ourselves in the philosophy and approach of our work - this short film explains the way we engage with communities, encourage working together and learning from each other.
The power of sand dams in Kenya

Sand dams are a cheap, innovative solution to water shortages in drylands, which also transform environments beyond recognition. Find out more about this remarkable technology in this video featuring interviews with Excellent's founders, supporters, those in the community that we support and Professor Jesse Muyambi from the University of Nairobi.

A brighter future with water

We need your help so that we can support more dryland communities to gain access to clean water, prevent spreading diseases like COVID-19 and in turn build a brighter future for themselves.
What is a sand dam?
1 million sand dams for 0.5 billion people by 2040

Read about our plan to directly support other organisations to build sand dams, in turn, realising our vision to support millions of the world’s poorest people by helping them to transform their own lives through water and soil conservation in drylands.
Donate

Please donate what you can to transform lives with sand dams and clean water.
Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands
Zimbabwe (Partner: Dabane Trust)

Dabane Trust and Excellent are working together with rural communities in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe to develop simple, appropriate and sustainable water abstraction and food production systems.
The challenge

Find out what are drylands, why they are they are such harsh regions to live, how sand dams are applicable in drylands and what difference they can make to over 40% of the world's land surface.
Sand dam manual

For everything you need to know about building sand dams, click here to read (and download for free!), Sand Dams: A Practical & Technical Manual.
Reversing land degradation and desertification

Conservation of the environment is critical to the economic development of people living in drylands.
Job opportunities