By Joe-Chintha Garises
AUS, Aug. 17 — With the mindset of ‘where there is a will there is a way a group of 12 women in Aus decided in June 2020 to start making bricks in the town.
The town, located in //Kharas region is one of the coldest in the country and the group saw this as an opportunity to make bricks for the residents to be able to build their own brick houses.
“Most inhabitants are living in shacks and this is a frigid town which made us come up with affordable bricks for the residents to build houses,” Bertha Boois’s spokesperson said.
The women’s brick-making business started in 2020 with the //Kharas Region council’s help. These women make the bricks on their own as a women empowerment.
The project started in the backyard of Bertha’s house because they could not afford to buy a plot for their business as an upcoming business in town.
“We sell the bricks at a very affordable price of N$7 per big brick and N$3 per small brick and we also sell them to farmers in the surroundings of Aus,” Boois said.
The women are very optimistic about their project and they took third place in the Old Mutual Sustainable Economic & Empowerment Drive 2022 in the southern regions.
With the winning prize of N$10 000, the group plans to buy more equipment for the brick business.
Caring Hearts which is the name of the business also got a serviced plot where they can work, from the //Kharas regional council and are in the process of moving their business to the new plot.
“With the winning prize, we will buy equipment like wheelbarrows, water pipes, add on cement, spades and fencing wire for the new plot” she added.
The main aim of this project is to create employment for the youth of Aus. Boois mentioned that they also have future plans to go into construction and not only be a brick-making business their main aim is to create affordable housing for the Aus community.
