Brick maker, Thomas Phiri

Thomas moulded bricks directly from mud. He wants to expand his business by moulding cement blocks instead of mud bricks. Usually mud bricks are burned to strengthen them and improve the quality. Burning bricks need a lot of firewood, but for moulding cement blocks Thomas does not need to cut trees. Cement blocks need more water to cure. With the deepened reliable water source and pump at his house, Thomas expanded his business, saves tropical forest and continuously mould concrete blocks.

The video here under was taken at the start of the project, the one above is after project completion.

Thomas Phiri is an experienced bricklayer and brick maker from Maolawo village. He has a wife and ten children and many grandchildren. He moulds bricks directly from mud and sells them to the communities nearby. People have been purchasing his bricks for building houses, toilets, shops and other shelter buildings.

At this moment Thomas wants to expand his brick moulding business by moulding cement blocks which after a thorough market survey he believes is on high demand. Some customers have already indicated their commitment to buy from him once he moulds cement blocks. Presently, Thomas is moulding mud bricks which involves cutting down of trees for him to burn the bricks in order to strengthen them as desired by customers. We all know what cutting down of trees can do to an environment. Now Thomas has access to water he can start moulding cement blocks instead of mud bricks, he will stop cutting down trees and preserve the environment

Thomas with his family

Thomas during the business training

Thomas was working very hard on his business and financial plan during the business training

We stopped adding monitoring data after Januari 2018 for Thomas Phiri but he is still using the skills he learned from Jacana.

January 2018

Thomas found his first customer for cement blockes. He already invested in the equipment and is now producing cement blocks for a customer in his village.

First Cement blocks from Thomas Phiri

November 2017

Thomas Phiri invested in a block making mould.

Cement block mould

August 2017

Thomas his well was deepened by Hastings and Steven. In this well they could not use the Mzuzu drilling method because the soil structure at the bottom of the well was very rocky. Steven and Hastings had to climb inside with a hammer and chisel to deepen it.

After they installed the pump. The clean water was very welcomed by Thomas his wife and the neighbors.