Making bricks start with high grade mud

Working On The Building

The site that we were given in Solwezi is undergoing some upgrades to make it more suitable as a training and admin center.

To do this we need building blocks which have been made on site with local labour.  In this way, the local community benefits financially and have a stake in the development.

The materials for building this new center are truly local, as are the laborers.

Reducing transportation costs is good for the planet and the local workers.

Mixing the mud before moulding

The process of moulding the bricks is surprisingly quick – a good thing since we need a large number for the walls which will help to define the plot.

The moulded bricks are then left out in the sun to bake, prior to final firing in a kiln on site.  By building the kiln from the bricks themselves, space and energy is saved.

At the end of the process, the land will be  cleared and used as a garden plot for training local villagers in effective cultivation of small scale vegetable gardens.

We believe that each project should not be an end in itself but is an opportunity for training and the future development of the community.  We want to do more than meet the need of poverty today.  Our aim is to create a greater degree of self sufficiency and remove poverty from tomorrow.

We were fortunate to have help from some of the local people who have become involved in the project.  Even young children helped to carry wood for the firing process.  They were very happy with the small reward of some toy gliders.

The Reception Center Progresses

By now (Oct 2013) the extension to the building is almost complete and we are now using it as a resource center.  We are now looking for the funds to complete internal fittings and a secure water supply. We now have a secure border wall built from the bricks which have been made on site.  We hope to start a pre-school within the next 12 months, and are continuing our program of visiting the elderly needy nearby.