Woman cements her future brick by brick

A WOMAN from Epyaenene village in the Okatana constituency has defied the odds by proving that women have the skills to advance in the construction industry – not only as ordinary labourers, but also as brickmakers.

Martha Iipumbu (37) is one such brickmaker at a small brickmaking project owned by her younger brother on the outskirts of Oshakati.

The single mother of four wakes up every morning to prepare her children for school before she gets her hands dirty by moulding cement with sand to make bricks, which are sold to the locals at the village.

Late afternoons Iipumbu returns home to work in the mahangu fields during the rainy season.

She is not deterred by spending long hours in the scorching sun making bricks, lifting heavy machinery, and pushing wheelbarrows.

“We are two women who are working as brickmakers and we do everything on our own. All those bricks you see, we made ourselves, and we pack them up too after drying for some days before they are ready for customers to buy.

“It is not easy, but I’m not complaining, because with the little I earn, I’m able to send my children to school and put food on the table. I’m lucky to be employed,” she says.

When The Namibian visited Iipumbu at work, she was indeed pushing heavy machinery while carrying her nine-month-old daughter on her back.

She says she has been coming to work with her baby since it was about two months old, because she cannot afford to send her to a creche.

“I come to work as early as possible so that I can knock off a bit earlier to go home and cook my children dinner. I know I cannot have it easier than this, but I am grateful for my job, and I truly thank God for the opportunity,” she says.

Iipumbu makes about 100 bricks per day on average.

Iipumbu has only completed primary school as she got pregnant at an early age.

Her younger brother taught her how to make bricks when she was 17, she says.

“At first I found it hard, and sometimes people would ask me why am I learning how to make bricks when I’m a woman. Some people would even laugh at me, but I soldiered on until I mastered my skills. I know how to mix cement with sand, and how to mould bricks. This was my first job, and I have never worked anywhere else,” Iipumbu says.

She says she hopes to own her own brickmaking business one day if she secures funding, adding that has the necessary skills to run her own project and provide other women at her village with employment opportunities.

“I am appealing to any good Samaritan out there to help me start my own business. For starters, I only need bags of cement, sand and a machine to mould the bricks, and also water. This would kick-start my own brickmaking project,” she says.

Iipumbu remembers her first day of brickmaking was not without challenges as she had to push a wheelbarrow full of sand and carry bags of cement on her shoulders.

“At times I thought of quitting and staying idle at home, but I think I’m used to it now. I was also impatient at the beginning and I never thought I would overcome all the challenges. Today I am standing tall and making bricks as if I’m making bread,” she says.

Iipumbu encourages women to ignore the shame and stigma associated with women in the construction industry, to put on brave faces, and work or become employers themselves.