The Epic of the Brick Press

We found another brick press! 

It seems that we've actually gone full circle, finally locating the brick press of a time long ago. I don't think I've ever told this story on the blog, so it seems time to share the epic of the brick press:

It all started in February 2008. But I didn't know that at the time. I didn't start really planning this school project until at least April. I was curious if Malians knew about compressed bricks (if you don't know what they are at this point, please educate yourself).  I started asking around if anyone knew of construction that had been done or brick presses that might be in use in the country.  I met a mason who told me he'd used one once, many years ago, while working for someone named George Samake, but he had no idea how to contact him now.  A month or two went by without finding him before I registered that George is an odd name for someone in Mali, unless he is a Christian and thereby associated with the Catholic mission.  So off I went to the catholic mission and after a few weeks of missed connections, I finally found George.  Yes, he had done a project with compressed bricks about ten years ago. Did he still have the machine?  No, he had rented it from a friend named Joe Kieta.  Can I get in touch with Joe?  Sorry, Joe died five years ago.

...but his wife, Madame Kieta, works in town at the bureau "gene rural" (pronounced in french).  So off I went to the bureau "general" (my french is still a little faulty), where there was no one by that name.  I did, however, encounter Madame Kieta's sister (!), who led me across the street to the correct office.  Yes, Joe was her late husband.  Yes, she had a brick press!  I got her number and we agreed to meet the next week to look at the machine, which was collecting dust in her back yard.

That weekend I attended a wedding for Adama's wife's sister, who was marrying a man named Yaya, who turned out to be a contractor.  Has he ever worked with compressed bricks?  Yes.  Does he know where we could find a brick press?  Yes, he has one in Koutiala.  Can he give us a good price?  Agreed.  I called Madame Kieta to tell her thanks, but we're going with someone else.  

Fast forward to April, 2010.  We're ready to start making bricks when the deal with the press falls through (remember Blacky?).  So I go back to the bureau "gene rural" (the correct one this time) to find old Madame Kieta.  Yes, she still works there.  No, she doesn't have the machine anymore.  She's sold it to a guy named Alou Kieta.  No, she doesn't have his number.  Dead end.

Rewind all the way back to February 2008.  I attended an architecture conference in Bamako about building with dirt.  Here I met a man who worked with compressed bricks and who gave me a brochure for his organization.  I put it in a folder and forgot about it. Until yesterday.

Fast forward (is this making you dizzy?) back to 2010.  Racking my brain to find another lead on a brick press, I suddenly remember this brochure.  I pull it out, blow off the dust, and who's name, phone number, and email are written on the front?  Alou Kieta.  I call him and meet with him that same day; he's easy to work with, gives us a great price, and voila! We have a brick press.