A Lesson in Brick Making

Many houses in Malawi are made from bricks. This is a very good thing as the people use slash and burn techniques to clear land and for farming. Bricks are locally made by digging up the red clay from the earth, mixing the earth with water, putting it into a brick mold, and then baking the bricks so they get that dark red color- are stronger- and more water resistant. Here are some photos of the brick ovens that people build. The holes in the bottom are where the wood goes for the fire/baking and they are covered in dirt to keep the heat in. After the bricks are fired they are then taken from the pile as needed for building. I really like the locally made concept. Brick making here is relatively inexpensive and creates fire proof housing. One issue with brick making is that it takes the soil from the land and there are some erosion issues associated with this.