TWO local women are raising money for a trip to Kenya, to help construct a sand dam that will provide rainwater to remote communities.

Angela Seal and her friend, June Stapley, who are both from Kingsbridge, are fundraising on behalf of Excellent Development - a London-based charity that supports communities in India and East Africa to construct rainwater harvesting technology.

Angela’s daughter, Emma Seal works for the charity, and is a former Kingsbridge Community College pupil, growing up in South Allington.

Excellent Development run an annual expedition in August, where supporters spend a week in Kenya constructing a dam.

A sand dam involves building a wall into a seasonal river, trapping the water behind the dam under the sand, which in turn protects it from contamination and evaporation.

Most dry-land regions of the world contain sandy, seasonal rivers that only channel flowing water during the rainy season. In most of these areas, this only lasts for only a couple of months of the year.

To provide water all-year-round to communities, a concrete wall is built across the river, constructed right down to the bedrock. Sand is washed downstream with the rains and builds up behind the dam along with the water.

Simple, effective and cheap to maintain, these structures have enabled thousands of people to transform their lives.

Sand dams can store up to 40 million litres of water and provide a year-round supply for up to 1,000 people. By locating sand dams close to villages with safe access routes, community members are saved up to 16 hours a day collecting water.

Sand dams can last at least 50 years with minimal operation and maintenance costs.

Excellent Development has expanded the scope of their support and now works directly with partner organisations in Kenya’s northern rangelands and south eastern region, India and Zimbabwe. They also provide assistance to projects in other parts of Africa.

The money raised by Angela and June will go directly to the work taking place on the ground, helping communities to adapt to the changing climate and harsh environment through the construction of sand dams, terracing of land and planting of drought-tolerant crops.

Angela and June will be able to chat to community members, see the realities of life in such a harsh climate, and assist with the construction of a life-changing structure.

Sand dams are incredibly hard work to build – working in the heat, Angela and June will be mixing cement with sand, and then with water, using shovels. Rocks and boulders will then be collected to reinforce the structure.

All this comes after digging deep into the ground until the ground-rock is found. All exhausting tasks, but the end result is a long-term supply of clean water for families, and generations to come.

Angela and June are aiming to raise £1,000 between them to donate directly to the work on the ground in Kenya.

They have raised about £200 so far, and are hoping that by reaching out to the wider community they can hit their target.

To support Angela and June’s trip, donations can be made online at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/WaterFromSand. Angela can also be contacted by telephone on 01548 511347 or 07792 965626.