The Life of a Ugandan Brick

Bricks are everywhere here in Uganda. From piles of bricks, bricks on roads, brick buildings to brick dust and brick walls - there are lots of them! I was very confused on the process of brick making at first, but I think with some questions and answers - I have it figured out! 

The bricks are made of their clay soil. They transport it by wheelbarrow and pile it up. 

Rectangle bricks are formed from the piles and lined up to dry. 

After they have dried, they are stacked up like this.  When I first saw,one of these "stacks" I could not figure out what it was. They told me a furnace. Well, that didn't make much sense because there are not usually homes around them. After further investigation, they are in fact furnaces but furnaces for the bricks. They build a fire inside the "stack", and this is the way they "harden" the brick to make it strong for building. 

Once they are fired, the "stack" is taken down and the bricks are ready to be used for building.