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Sandblast is a UK arts & human rights charity promoting the voices and visions of the Saharawi from Western Sahara. Embedded in a protracted conflict since 1975, half of the Saharawi population are refugees in harsh desert camps in SW Algeria, while the other half live in their own land, occupied by Morocco.
Since 2005, Sandblast has been working to create platforms for Saharawi culture in Europe and projects in the camps to develop new skills to express themselves and their culture. We particularly promote artistic collaborations and partnerships between the UK and the Saharawi people. |
How We Work
At Sandblast we have two main aims:
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1. Through educational, cultural and artistic activities, we seek to raise awareness of the Saharawi refugee plight and their self-determination struggle. We organise and get involved in film screenings, benefit concerts, arts festivals, workshops, mainly in the UK but also around Europe.
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2. In the refugee camps we support and facilitate projects that provide opportunities to learn, acquire new skills and develop potential among the Saharawi civil society, especially children, youth and women. Currently our main project is DESERT VOICEBOX, an after school project providing English language and Music education to the Saharawi refugee children in the Boujdour desert camp near Tindouf, Algeria. The project is also training local refugee women to teach and run the programme.
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Funding
Most of our funds for projects in the camps come from our annual fundraising and awareness-raising event Run the Sahara.
All our admin and event management expenses are covered through individual donations and a diversity of public/private donors. We run annual online campaigns through JustGiving and are dedicating almost all our efforts to fundraising for Desert Voicebox.
We're especially indebted to the Arts Council England for supporting most of our UK projects throughout the past 9 years.
All our admin and event management expenses are covered through individual donations and a diversity of public/private donors. We run annual online campaigns through JustGiving and are dedicating almost all our efforts to fundraising for Desert Voicebox.
We're especially indebted to the Arts Council England for supporting most of our UK projects throughout the past 9 years.
Volunteers
As we run on a shoe-string budget, volunteers have been vital to the ability of Sandblast to carry out and further its mission. Over the years we have built up a fantastic network of supporters who have become like family. Through our Friends of Desert Voicebox scheme people can volunteer -both remotely and on the ground- to train the local team of Saharawi teachers and deliver special English language and creative music workshops for the students. We also encourage setting up structured penpal relationships with the students in Desert Voicebox to promote friendship, language skills development and cultural exchange. Volunteers are regularly needed to help with events, administration, marketing and media relations. Get in touch if you you'd like to get involved!
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PAST PROJECTS
PAST PROJECTS
Governance
Sandblast is a charity registered in Wales and England (1115288). It regularly publishes its Annual Reports and submits them to Companies House and the Charity Commission . These documents aim to be a reflection of our activities both in the UK and in the Saharawi refugee camps, as well as the acknowledgement to partner organisations, donors and founders with whom we work. These reports also provide transparency and accountability of all Sandblast’s activities. Sandblast is currently governed by a board of 3 people Annette Gibbons-Warren (chair) , Beatrice Newberry and Danielle Smith with Carolina Graterol as Secretrary.
Our Track Record
Since 2005, we have raised more than £100,000 for projects in the camps,
organised more than 40 events in the UK and Europe,
established collaborations with over 50 partner organisations,
and supported more than 200 people to visit the Saharawi refugee camps
to write articles, produce radio shows, run their own social projects or volunteer.
HELP US KEEP GOING!
