How to Make Mudbricks Africa Style: Africa Day 6

This is a post about houses of sticks and houses of bricks and little pigs. But not the three little pigs.

Wildflowers arranged by my niece. She’s so creative.

Contrary to what The Gods Must be Crazy portrays, life in rural African is not simple or easy.

This reality was underscored for me when my brother-in-law and his family took us to see the place where their ministry keeps livestock.

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Pig in Burundi — This little pig lives in a house made of sticks.

While we were having fun feeding goats and pigs, dozens of people were hard at work building bricks for the livestock project’s new building. The method used is basically the same as what you’d see in the Middle East or in pueblo ruins near my home in Arizona.

Making mud bricks — Making mudbricks at home in Arizona

I’ve made mudbricks before. The materials are cheap, but the labor is hard.

Here’s how to make mudbricks Africa style:

Saturate the dirt and mix it (usually with feet or a hoe) until it’s the right consistency.
Fill brick molds with mud and smooth it.
Wait for it to dry (a long, long time! I’ve heard it can take months).
Stack the bricks into a kiln and fire them.
Construct a building.

School was out for the summer, so there were a lot of kids helping. Summer vacation is not time for play in East Africa.

You might see women carrying bricks on their heads…I can’t imagine having that kind of strength!

There’s a story missionaries like to tell about a doctor whose patient had thrown out his back. “How did it happen?” the doctor asked. “Oh, I was helping my wife get a load on her head,” the patient replied.

I don’t know if it’s true, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Burundi’s culture celebrates work ethic, and you don’t have to look far to see people who embody that value.