The story of Shambob
Practical Action
Participatory technology development
The key players in determining project objectives and strategies were the workers from
Shambob and project staff from Practical Action Sudan. Essentially, the project aimed to
enable workers in the brick production sub-sector to benefit more from their hard labour.
Being organised, and managing their own production and marketing processes, people
realised that additional profits could be made from savings on energy and from making higher
quality bricks. This required technical research in parallel with enterprise development
activities.
A programme of action research was initiated to improve the energy efficiency of kilns, try out
alternative fuels including residues, and better methods of moulding. This research and
capacity building required external funding which was raised by Practical Action from several
sources. The European Commission, GTZ (a German NGO) and a wide range of small donors
gave their support to technology research and development activities.
Bagasse – a new fuel source
Much of the action research with
producers focused on increasing fuel
efficiency and replacing wood fuel. A
first attempt, to replace the traditional
clamp kilns by a vaulted oil fired kiln
did not produce satisfactory results.
Changes to the fuels used in clamps
were more successful; the use of cow
dung, traditionally mixed into brick
clays (and not used elsewhere) was
further investigated and optimised.
Another residue was explored, this
was bagasse, available as a waste
material from the sugar industry in the
region. There are enormous dumps of
bagasse in Eastern Sudan, some of
which ignite spontaneously. Some
Figure 2: This picture, taken in 1996, shows the
significant amounts of fuelwood required to fire a
traditional clamp kiln. Transportation costs are also high
and have a significant impact on the environment. Photo:
Practical Action / Mohammed Majzoub.
bagasse is made into briquettes in simple block presses, generating economic activity near
sugar plants. The loose form was mixed with clay and used internally during firing; the block
form was used in the kiln tunnels as an alternative to external fuel: both gave good results.
Project partners and staff were encouraged and were ultimately able to substitute up to 80%
of wood with bagasse. A small permanent Scotch kiln has recently been built to achieve
further fuel efficiency.
Improved standards
The quality of the bricks produced was also
improved by better moulding and more
controlled drying. Producing bricks with a more
regular size and shape got project staff involved
in the elaboration of new national standards for
bricks in Sudan. At the local level, a few
demonstration structures have been built with
the improved bricks which, for example,
highlighted the savings in mortar and
construction time that could be achieved by
using more regularly shaped bricks. Although
the bricks themselves may cost somewhat more,
this still makes for cheaper walls. Important
Figure 3: Practical Action staff worked with
the men of Shambob to improve the brick
production processes and equipment. Photo:
Practical Action / Mohammed Majzoub
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