The story of Shambob
Practical Action
get little from Kassala town. Some suggested that this is due to their lack of education, an
education they felt might have enabled them to be of benefit to their fathers and sons.
Diversification in livelihood strategies is one way people adapt to guard against shocks and
negative trends. Brick making in the face of loss of agricultural earnings is one such option.
Practical Action’s (then ITDG) Project Manager, Jeremiah Bairiak explained: “In the
beginning it was not that much easy because we needed to look deeper into the problems. So
I think it is very important to begin with what people know.”
Getting to know people
When they were asked how they first came to know Practical Action, project partners said the
first contact was through a relative who was involved in early experimental work. Practical
Action staff was seeking to employ workers, to support their efforts to learn about existing
technologies and to trial and test new options.
“Ten men worked with this man from Khartoum – a ‘doctor’ [this consultant undertook early
feasibility studies with Practical Action staff]. One of the elders working as a labourer was
telling the ITDG man technical things about the kiln. For example, he said that bricks on one
side would be first class, on the other of second rate and in the middle you would lose the
bricks as they would be welded together.” When the kiln was unloaded, this was found to be
true.
Practical Action staff became interested to know more about these people and their existing
knowledge in brick production. A relationship was established with brick workers from
Shambob, and a baseline survey undertaken. Practical Action held several meetings to explore
the technologies, products and processes, and the organisations involved in production and
marketing. While working on the experimental production activities, Practical Action began to
tell people they would help them to establish themselves and access land; many were sceptical
and did not believe anyone would help them.
Building on existing skills and strategies
Practical Action started working in Eastern Sudan on small enterprise development well
before this project started. An initial survey identified brick making as a significant sector,
offering good opportunities for improved livelihoods whilst tackling energy and environmental
constraints. Brick making is an important economic activity in Sudan. Around Kassala, it
involves approximately 5000 workers. Production is mostly in the hands of businessmen, who
own or rent the land and reap the main benefits. In 1995, Practical Action began
investigating brick production technologies and experimenting with alternative production
processes, kilns, and fuels, employing local people to work on monitored firings.
Shambob – studying local realities
A baseline survey in mid 1997 established that Shambob was a poor village with 526
inhabitants; two-thirds of the men were brick workers. Their jobs were unstable and seasonal.
The various skills required for traditional brick production were present, but few management
skills were. The priorities of the present project were established with local participation as:
• management of brick enterprises by workers
• cost savings through energy efficiency
• higher prices from better bricks.
Practical Action’s aim was not to impose ideas but engage with people, initially covering the
risk by offering wages at the same rate of pay as merchants, learning about local ways of
working and then facilitating changes. This process enabled people to see the benefits and
challenges for themselves, to learn from experience how new technologies could be adopted
and developed.
3