Sandblast Arts
Our objectives
Sandblast is a volunteers-led London-based charity. We are dedicated to building awareness and solidarity for the indigenous Saharawis of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in NW Africa. Since 1975, over half the population have been displaced from their homeland.
We advocate for the Saharawis to achieve their UN-recognised right to self-determination. Through our skills-training, educational and artistic programs, we aim to transform lives, amplify Saharawi voices and bolster their threatened culture.
Our activities
Desert Voicebox is Sandblast's flagship programme. This unique early-learning project is based in camp Boudjour, the smallest of five refugee camps hosting close to 200,000 Saharawis near Tindouf in SW Algeria. It relies on qualified volunteers to: 1) train local refugee women to provide English and music education to Saharawi refugee children and, 2) run inspiring, horizon-broadening creative workshops for the children.
Over 60 primary school-aged children are currently enrolled in the 4-year-long programme, which uses a bespoke curriculum that aims to make learning interactive and fun and engage the children's imagination to promote their creativity.
Desert Voicebox was established in 2016 to provide aid-dependent Saharawis with local access to quality education, enabling them to learn and grow outside the classroom.