The story of Shambob
Practical Action
Reducing environmental pressures
There is a huge potential for the use of residues as fuel in brick production, and this can
substantially reduce the pressure on wood fuel resources. Residues tend to be a much
cheaper fuel than wood and this, added to increases in energy efficiency, help to improve the
commercial viability of the enterprises.
Scaling up and informing practice world-wide
Practical Action is replicating the approach taken in Shambob: getting to know people and
their existing livelihood strategies; working in
partnership to identify new options and test their
viability; building co-operative working practices;
developing wider linkages to gain political
backing and the necessary resources to support
the creation of sustainable livelihoods. Practical
Action is now working with displaced and
refugee populations who have been driven from
rural homelands to reside in the informal
settlements of Kassala’s suburbs. At Kadugli, on
the outskirts of Kassala, a workers’ co-operative
has now been established, and at Waggar, 106
kilometres to the north, brick production is a
new economic activity run by an existing co-
operative; both have begun well.
“Before joining Kadugli Bricks Producing
Society I worked in the construction market
in Kassala. I live in the unplanned Wau Nur
residential area of Kassala town. Before
joining the society I earned SD 400 per day
but the jobs I did were irregular and my
social connections were very limited. I am
now the president of the society and also
work as kiln loader, earning SD 750 daily. I
underwent technical training in brick
production and book-keeping by Practical
Action. In my new position I enjoy cordial
relations with all the other members of the
society and other NGOs. My living conditions
have improved due to my new employment.”
Around 250 brick workers are now involved in
Nasir Abuzeid Tiya
self-managed brick production in three
locations; this represents approximately 5% of the work force in the sector. More than 100
others, in three different locations have already approached Practical Action Sudan for
support in establishing a producers’ co-operative. Practical Action Sudan has begun to work
with the women of Kadugli to develop their productive capacity to self-manage an enterprise
providing aggregate to the local construction sector. There is clearly scope for more, not only
within the region, but elsewhere in Sudan as well.
References and further reading
Village-Level Brickmaking by Anne Beamish / Will Donovan
GTZ/GATE 1988, ISBN 3 528 02051 2
Brick by Brick: Participatory Technology Development in Brickmaking by Kelvin Mason
Sustainable Livelihoods from Small-scale Brick Production by Lucky Lowe and Theo
Schilderman, Practical Action 2001
Technical Brief Brick Clamps
Technical Brief Selected Bibliography on Birckmaking in Developing Countries
Technical Brief The Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln
Technical Brief Ten Rules for Energy Efficient, cist effective Brick Firing
Technical Brief Assessing the Technical Problems of Brick Production
Technical Brief How to measure the Energy Used to Fire Clay Bricks
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