Makindu Youth Development Association of seven male youth was formed in 2024 with the support of Ashiraf Kakaire. The group of members from 17 to 27 years is engaged in brick making for income. The project was initiated through conversations facilitated by Ashiraf about possible income generating activities that youth could do, using the available resources. Up until this point, there was no joint income generating initiative for the youth.
The youth looked through various agricultural activities such as maize growing, poultry, horticulture but decided that the returns from agriculture would take long to come in. Moreover, most of them didn’t even have land for agriculture. However, they still realized that land remained their biggest resource for whatever activity they needed to do.
That was when they identified brickmaking as a viable activity. They reasoned that in as much as it was labour intensive, brickmaking brought in quick returns, many of them knew how to make bricks, it had less costs and bricks had a high demand. Similarly, the activity could fit within members’ schedules without interfering with their other work and school since some of the members were students. However, the group also brainstormed on the challenges of the activity including long rain seasons which made drying the bricks extremely hard. The solution to the challenge was ensuring that bricks were made during the sunny seasons of January- March and June-September or October.
The youth went ahead to identify the available resources needed for the brickmaking which included land, water, molds and labour. For land, identified places which had better access to water. To get the molds, each contributed a small amount which they used for purchase. Given their strength of youth, they were to provide the labour. Interestingly, the youth had never thought of brick making as a profitable activity before interacting with Ashiraf. As they held several meetings with Ashiraf during their evening sports activities, they realized that it was within their power to change their lives for the better.
In June 2024, the group hired land where they set up their joint brickmaking project. They helped one another to set up seven other brick projects at their parents’ homes or other places they could get. From the joint project, they produced 30,000 bricks earning about 3,000,000 Ugx in October 2024. They removed the cost of about 700,000 Ugx which included land hire, firewood and feeding leaving a profit of 320,000 Ugx per person. Likewise, each individual project brought in at least 700,000 Ugx.
After sharing out the profits, Senswaswa Joseph a 21-year-old who had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees got tuition of 1,000,000 Ugx to pay for his mechanics’ course in October 2024. Before coming into the youth project, he was stuck and didn’t know where to start. Currently, in as much he is six months into his training, his trainer has given him a job at the garage. Using the savings from the current brick project, Joseph plans to start his own garage by the end of this 2025.
Bukenya Ibra, the group chairperson used his share of 450,000 Ugx to invest in a saloon business to diversify his income. For strategic location, he set up the business in the town centre of Makindu village. Likewise, he used 600,000 Ugx to start purchasing construction materials. He plans to start constructing his house in November.
Ayele, the group secretary is also saving towards completing his house. He asserted that living in his own house would save him from having to pay monthly rent while allowing him to be in a more spacious premise. He reported that it was because of the group support that he has managed to realise his dream of constructing his own house early enough. Other members like Ayele are also saving towards constructing their houses. They make their deposits at the nearby hardware shop to purchase construction materials.
Another youth, Ibrahim used his share profit of 960,000 Ugx to purchase a bicycle to ease his movements to school. He also paid for his school registration fees.
In February 2025, the group hired a bigger piece of land to increase their production and income from the bricks project. The land costed them 900,000 Ugx for the year. They are currently making bricks from which they anticipate earning at least 7,500,000 Ugx. Like they did in the first project, they are supporting each other to set up individual brick projects. Members also continue to bring in their savings of 1,500 to 10,000 Ugx per person every Wednesday.
The youth attribute their success to the support received from Ashiraf. The project is a testament of how human centred design and community led development are essential tools in engaging local communities in socio-economic development. It also shows how collection action has a far more reaching effect in empowering local communities for development. It highlights the importance of listening and understanding what works for communities thereby giving them opportunity to lead decision making in their initiatives. Herein lays the precursor for sustainability of community programs. Furthermore, the project recognizes male youth as active participants and contributors to the economic development of local communities.
Ashiraf Kakaire served in Makindu village, Buikwe district in 2024 and is currently serving as an Exchange Volunteer with CorpsAfrica/Rwanda.