ABOUT ISSB TECHNOLOGY
WHO WE ARE
OUR BACKGROUND
Brick by Brick Construction Company is a social enterprise that was started in 2011 as a collaborating partner with the non-profit Brick by Brick Uganda after our founders struggled to contract quality construction services for their infrastructure development projects. Since then, we have become a national leader in environmentally-friendly construction services, completing over 319 projects nationally. We currently operate fully functioning through our profits without financial support from Brick by Brick Uganda.
Our organization operates following the triple bottom line of profit, planet, and people. We operate with a for-profit model and use the sustainable technology of interlocking stabilized soil bricks (ISSB) to complete construction services with locally available and environmentally sustainable technology. Finally, we are youth-serving because we hire local young men from our communities of the rural Kyotera and Rakai Districts who have had a hard time securing employment and train them on the job to be masons for our construction work. We aim to support our employees by offering comprehensive benefits, profit-sharing at the end of each year, and quarterly management meetings, in addition, to securing employment and construction skills.
Environmental Commitment
Traditional brick-making in sub-Saharan Africa involves the draining of wetlands to create mud bricks that are baked for weeks in large kilns. It takes one ton of firewood to create 1000 bricks, leading to deforestation. We use an environmentally sustainable technology called "Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks." Our bricks are made with a simple, human-powered press. In addition to being 50% larger than typical mud bricks, their interlocking nature adds structural stability and reduces the amount of cement required for the mortar layer between the rows of bricks, which significantly reduces the cost of construction and gives our company a competitive market advantage.
Our company also specializes in the construction of water and sanitation systems. We have completed over 319 projects throughout Uganda, providing clean, safe water for 200,000 people and saving over 22 acres from deforestation.
Healthy Communities
We look at each community as a whole, assessing their basic needs in terms of education, health, and living conditions. Our employees are a very important part of the community. We are committed to the quality of life of the skilled and unskilled workers that are employed by Brick by Brick Construction, all of whom are Ugandan. Our company provides a fair wage, comprehensive health insurance, a share of our annual profits, and a safe working environment.
We meet with our staff of masons on a regular basis, offering them an opportunity to openly express their thoughts and opinions. Our staff is dedicated; most of our skilled masons have been with us for over ten years.
Sustainable Profitability
With 11 years in operation, Brick by Brick Construction has turned a modest profit. Our principal product has been the construction of rainwater harvesting tanks, which serve a critical need for safe and clean drinking water in rural communities. Our product line extends to the construction of schools, residential homes, staff quarters, health centers, perimeter wall fences, fuel-efficient cooking stoves, etc
While Brick by Brick Construction is fully committed to its business-for-profit model and we will continue to ensure that our business also serves our communities and the environment. We reap significant social benefits from our work while being a powerful economic engine for our communities.