Brick by Brick
Supporting education and entrepreneurs in Uganda with eco‐friendly brick making
What is Brick by Brick?
Brick by Brick is a Positive Planet program that establishes small‐scale brick manufacturing
businesses in rural Uganda. The program partners with COWESER (Community Welfare Services), a
locally run and operated non‐profit, non‐governmental organization to identify masons. The
program then trains the local masons to use Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSB) technology, an
eco‐friendly, cost effective and materially efficient alternative to the environmentally degrading
process of fire based kiln brick making. Positive Planet runs the program similar to many
microfinance projects in that the costs of the brick presses are recouped in the form of cash or
bricks. The recouped bricks are then used to support educational facilities for primary schools.
Principally, the bricks will be used for the construction of classrooms, sanitation facilities and water
tanks; all to support education for children in Uganda.
What is Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSB) Technology?
Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks (ISSB) is an appropriate technology (meaning that it
makes sense for and by the local people in Uganda who will be using the technology) that
utilizes environmentally friendly building materials and construction methods. Instead of
oven‐fired brick which is the most common method used in East Africa, ISSB are produced
using a simple and relatively inexpensive device that uses pressure to fabricate bricks of
varying shapes and sizes. The fact that interlocking bricks can be made in this fashion,
dramatically reduces the need for cement, thus lowering the cost, as well as the need for
wood as fuel, saving thousands of trees and reducing the terrible problem of deforestation
which is ubiquitous throughout sub‐Saharan Africa.
What is the Environmental Impact of the Project?
The traditional method for burning bricks in Uganda consists of stacking a large amount of dried bricks
(up to 20,000) into a large pile with a tunnel opening at the bottom into which large quantities of
firewood are introduced and burnt during 24‐hours. The pile is plastered with mud in order to reduce
heat leakage. This process results in unevenly baked bricks and 20% waste as the bricks closest to the
heat source are over burned while those farther away are under‐fired. The large quantities of
firewood needed for firing bricks contributes to deforestation, which affects biodiversity. It
contributes to air pollution, soil erosion and degradation, desertification of the landscape, and
reduces available fuel sources for other human activities. In agricultural regions, these consequences
are especially detrimental and contribute to the food crisis and sometimes fuel conflict over the
limited resources. Currently, there are attempts by organizations to raise awareness on alternative
fuels and kiln construction in order to increase production rates and reduce environmental impact.
With the current reliance on fired brick and other unsustainable technologies, the most basic human
needs such as housing, watertanks, and schools will increase these rates of destruction. Because
ISSBs are ‘cured’ rather than fired, the need for fuelwood is eliminated. Moreover, fired brick
creation damages wetland areas, which are vital to the natural filtration of water in an environment.
ISSB Technology provides a realistic alternative to brick construction and in turn helps conserve
woodland areas, wetlands and indigenous eco‐systems.
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Benefits and Fact about ISSB1
• Environmental benefits:
o ISSB blocks are “cured” rather then fired, which eliminates the need for firewood and charcoal.
o This helps decrease deforestation of potential fuel sources by protecting local woodlands.
o Increases conservation of local flora and fauna.
• Cost savings and Accessibility/ Transport benefits:
o A cost savings of ISSB versus fired brick is in the range of 20‐30%.
o The presses that create the blocks are affordable. In the long‐term, ISSB technology proves to be cost‐
effective as the press contributes to increased sustainability through further building initiatives.
o As blocks are made on site there are no breakages. It is common for 20% of fired bricks to be damaged
when they reach a site.
o Because of the interlock feature and the uniformity of each block, savings are found in the lower
amounts of cement needed for construction. Less mortar is needed in between courses and also when
plastering the walls.
o The presses are very easy to transport making them relevant to the rural poor
• Water and Sanitation Benefits:
o Curved ISSBs are ideal for meeting water and sanitation needs.
o ISSB water tanks are approximately half the cost of plastic tanks.
o Above ground tanks can be constructed with capacities from 2,000 Litres to 30,000 Litres.
o Underground tanks can be constructed with capacities of up to 200,000 Litres.
o The Interlock on all 4 sides ensures maximum resistance against water pressure.
o The cylindrical shape means there are no corners, which are weak points against water pressure.
o The technology is equally suited for lining pit latrines and building septic tanks.
o Larger structures built with the technology, such as schools, can take advantage of the large roof surface
area and incorporate water harvesting features into structures.
• Increasing Community Capacity and Education:
o Construction using ISSB technology requires lower level masonry skills, which means that necessary
skills can be obtained quickly making technology transfer simple. This results in reliable and time‐saving
building techniques.
o Because the presses are simple to operate, this can facilitate community participation and mobilization
which has the potential to promote proactive behavior, self‐reliance and encourage a problem‐solving
approach to other issues.
o The technology also has the potential to generate local skills, employment and income. Because of their
utility and low cost, the machines constitute a livelihood resource—through selling them or hiring them
or training others in their use. Access to the machines could easily be incorporated into micro‐finance
schemes or other similar income generation projects.
o Using the technology can stimulate educational dialogue by alerting people to the environmental
benefits obtained in using ISSB.
1
Based on a Good Earth Trust’s document, Overview of Interlocking Soil Stabilised Block (ISSB) Technology in Uganda
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About Positive Planet
Mission
Positive Planet is a non‐profit organization invested in improving the lives and
futures of children in Uganda by supporting the delivery of quality education,
improving the physical infrastructure of school communities and developing
sustainable economic development. To accomplish this goal, Positive Planet works
with school communities, local Ugandan and US non‐profits and corporate partners
to develop sustainable and community based models of change.
Positive Planet’s Strategy: To address our mission, Positive Planet coordinates
several programs using different
models.
Highlighted programs are:
• Sister School Program
• School Infrastructure Improvement Program
• Teacher Training Series
• The Poultry Project
• Brick by Brick
Background and Impact
The geographic area in which Positive Planet works is the Rakai and Masaka
districts, a rural region in southeastern Uganda. These districts have a
staggering rate of poverty and have been identified as the birthplace of HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS. Through all of these difficulties and challenges, Positive
Planet remains focused on improving the quality of education in our Ugandan
Sister Schools, which serve the poorest of Uganda's children, many of whom
are AIDS orphans.
Universal primary education (U.P.E.) has been adopted by the Government of
Uganda. U.P.E schools are government supported and free to all students. However, limited resources leave most
schools critically under‐funded, overcrowded, and without sufficient classrooms, books, educational materials or even
safe drinking water.
Since its inception, Positive Planet has engaged thousands of children in the US
and Uganda in its Sister School Program and over $60,000 has been raised to
fund major school capital improvements. In addition to infrastructure projects,
Positive Planet supports education through programs and partnerships that
deliver continuing education to teachers. Positive Planet is investing in local
economic development in order to support our mission, providing revenue for
our multiple projects. By partnering with locally owned and operated
businesses Positive Planet is investing in the entrepreneurial spirit and know‐
how of the Ugandan people and we believe this is a strategy that will pay
dividends in the short and long‐term.
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