Time-lapse of a sand dam being built

Watch as Kwa Voki self-help group build their sand dam in Makueni County, southeast Kenya.

The dam will go on to provide the community with nearby, lifelong access to clean water.

Credit: Titus Mbithi / Africa Sand Dam Foundation (Excellent's partners in southeast Kenya) / Just a drop

Please donate what you can to help dryland communities access clean water and food security for life with sand dams and climate-smart agriculture

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could provide a farmer with drought-resistant seeds, so they can feed and support their family.

£30

could supply a community with a rake, gardening fork, shovel and watering cans, to plant trees for fruit, fuel and fodder

£60

could provide a roll of barbed wire to reinforce a sand dam, anchoring it to the bedrock.

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Latest

Helping children to grow with water

The issue of water scarcity prevents many children from getting the most out of their education in southeast Kenya. Speaking with members of the St Stephen's Primary School community, we learn how a school water tank can positively influence the academic experience.
"With this new water tank, life in school will be more fun"

With water scarcity being a challenge for schools across southeast Kenya, many children are often required to bring water with them from home. Representatives from Kyumbe Primary School share how their school water tank has relieved this burden and helped children to enjoy school again.
The difference made by having water at school

Attending a school that lacks a reliable water source presents many challenges for students. Speaking to members of the Kasunguni Secondary School community, we find out the ways a school water tank has helped them to address these challenges.
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.

Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands
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?
Donate

Please donate what you can to transform lives with sand dams and clean water.
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.
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.
Reversing land degradation and desertification

Conservation of the environment is critical to the economic development of people living in drylands.
Watch how sand dams work

Film explaining how sand dams work and their potential impact in the world's drylands
Excellent Development wins at the Charity Awards 2021!

Excellent wins the International Aid and Development award for our sand dam projects in Africa!
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.
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.