Building from scratch

Kimbilio has a strong track record in building construction. Led by longtime team member Papa David Kunda, brick-based building accomplishments have included Kimbilio's Janet Bokwa and Josue Manda residences as well as construction of the Kimbilio Mapendo primary school. As Kimbilio gets ready for two new major construction projects -- a new community center and a new vocational school -- they will rely on a highly affordable and effective construction material...bricks made by Kimbilio from termite mounds. Yes, termite mounds!

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Termite mound soil can replace more costly materials for making bricks. The characteristics of termite mound soil are suitable for construction material because the mounds are rich in silica and alumina which are good at binding. Using termite mounds has the additional benefit of not degrading the environment in the way that extraction or excavation of traditional clay for brickmaking can do.

Kimbilio makes bricks in five steps:

1. The land is readied for brickmaking. The brickmakers will wet the land after scraping it.

2. On top of the prepared land, the mud from the termite mounds is put into molds and pounded.

3. After drying thoroughly in the sun, the oven gets set up with lines of coal between the bricks.

4. The oven gets covered with a clay paste.

5. The oven is lit and the bricks are cooked.

This video shows the bricks that have dried in the sun and are being arranged into ovens for cooking.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/7bec00_3222292c3ba641858710b29b560d5a6d/360p/mp4/file.mp4

#streetchildren #DRCongo #lubumbashi #HautKatanga #termitemounds #brickmaking