As many as 1.1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe water. And 2.2 million of them, mostly children, die every year from diseases associated with the lack of safe water. In Kenya, 50% of the population drinks unsafe water.
The small-scale dams that we build with community groups capture the seasonal rain, store it below the sand behind the dam and keep it clean. Each dam supplies water all year round to up to 1,200 people and enable farmers to start vegetable and tree nurseries. Coupled with terracing land and planting trees, soil erosion is reduced which helps to improve food production, incomes and health.
What it costs
$10,000 will fund a small-scale Sand Dam providing clean water throughout the year for up to 1,200 people.
Who we are
Excellent Development is a unique charity that approaches rural development in a multi-disciplinary way with the aim of achieving a win-win situation: enhancement of the natural environment and improved quality of life.
Our mission
We enable disadvantaged communities in Africa to transform their environment sustainably and improve water supplies, food production, health and incomes.
Our community development approach
Community development philosophyEvery project starts with people organizing themselves into community self-help groups, focusing on their own needs and priorities. Because community groups build the dams themselves, they not only make sure they are built right but they also have ownership and are committed to the benefits they bring. Communities decide on their own goals, and contribute to their project’s implementation and sustainability.
Our 2010 goals
To build: 300 sand dams
