Vincent, the PTA Treasurer, with the bricks the that will make the school

There’s a lot of work to be done and expensive materials to be sourced, but the community of Simakakata has already invested thousands of man hours into creating their new school. An area of dense scrub land has been cleared, foundations dug and 60,000 bricks have been made, all by hand.

The bricks are made by recovering loose soil from anthills, which is placed into a rough wooden frame, mixed with water and then compacted. The mud block is then left in the sun to dry. When there are enough bricks, they’re stacked over a large fire which must be kept burning for three days to harden them off.

It sounds simple, but the time it takes to walk several kilometres to the build site and work means time away from looking after their livestock and farms, which they need to tend to survive.

The contribution doesn’t end there. Those with certified building skills have committed to taking time off work to complete the project, because the school means so much to them.