WALVIS BAY – Twenty-six members of the Narraville Shack Dwellers Federation on Monday received training in brickmaking at Walvis Bay.

The group, consisting of both men and women, are part of those who will be constructing 68 houses for themselves in due course under the programme.

The training was conducted by Ohorongo Cement that also committed assistance of N$9 million over a period of three years to the shack dwellers federation along with the First National Bank Federation Trust and Pupkewitz Foundation, in support of this community-driven housing initiative.

Ohorongo Cement started the brickmaking  training programme after realising that some of the members of the federation did not know how to make quality bricks, which could affect the quality and lifespan of their houses.

Civil engineer and concrete specialist at Ohorongo, Martha Mwatile, on Monday said quality building blocks are key to build strong structures that last for generations to come.

 “Thus, the quality of the bricks you use to build your house is very important. Input determines output, so you have to ensure you use the highest quality materials when you build your house,” she told the shack dwellers.
Technical advisor of the training Jurgens Nel said the newly acquired skills and training they provided can be transferred within the communities and could also be used to create an income for trainees, which could create additional employment.

“On top of that, it is a huge cost saver when bricks are manufactured on site, which saves a load of money on transport costs,” said Jurgens.

To date more than 300 people have been trained by Ohorongo on how to manufacture bricks correctly.The three-hour training entailed both theoretical and practical guidance in the production of quality bricks, as well as on quality assurance mechanisms and the maintenance and caretaking of brick moulds and other equipment.  
The group also received a container to store their brickmaking equipment and tools.