Brick worker, Nepal 1995
Throughout much of the world, bricks are made by hand. Mud is dug from nearby fields. After it has been kneaded, it is shaped using a small mold. First, sand is sprinkled into the mold to prevent the mud from sticking. Next, the mud is scooped by hand and thrown into the mold. The extra mud is trimmed off the top to shape the brick. In some regions the mold is then turned upside down to release the brick; in others, the mold has no bottom. Finally, the brick is stamped with the name of the manufacturer.
Bricks are left in the sun to dry. When they are dry, they are carried to the kiln for firing. In India and Nepal bricks are stacked in enormous kilns, covered with dirt, and then fired by dropping fuel down small stacks, scattered about the top of the kiln. After firing, workers remove the bricks from the kiln. If the bricks are dropped, they may fall several feet onto the bare foot of a worker. Workers then carry large loads of bricks across fields of stone and broken bricks for storage and shipping.
Even a small brick factory may produce as many as 500,000 bricks per year. Each brick weighs between one and two kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds). A small child may haul over 1,000 bricks on his/her head or back each day.
Copyright, 2001, President and Fellows of Harvard College