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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
A BULAWAYO teacher, Mrs Tendai Moto, 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.

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

Not fazed by the male-dominated construction industry, Mrs Moto is surging ahead to fulfil her goal of building her dream, one brick at a time.

The entrepreneurial brick maker is blazing a trail in the construction industry manufacturing bricks, which she sells to individuals.

Todate, just 36 months after launching, her business is grossing about US$5 000 in revenue per month and producing healthy profit margins.

Mrs Moto, who represents a new crop of enterprising women who are laying solid foundations in the construction industry, started brickmaking in 2019, initially as a school holiday pastime.

She gets her hands dirty by mixing cement with sand to make bricks, which she sells to raise money for the family.

Mrs Moto moulds an average of 500 bricks per day, selling them for US$0,65 each.

A mother of four, Mrs Moto has through brickmaking also managed to send her two children to boarding school.

“I started brick making in 2019 and I have two daughters who are in high school and I pay their fees through this business of moulding bricks. It has always been my wish to send them to a boarding school, but with my teaching salary I couldn’t afford,” she said.

Mrs Moto said the mushrooming of new buildings in the city has created a good business that would yield quick returns and change her fortunes.

“This was quite an unusual choice, as brickmaking is traditionally done by men. Being a female brick maker is somewhat difficult as a lot of people, especially men look down upon you, but I am not deterred,” she said.

“I remember at one time I had an argument with one of my workers and he told me that he was not going to take orders from a woman and I simply replaced him.”

Mrs Moto, who is a member of Zimbabwe Assemblies of God in Africa (Zaoga), was inspired by a sermon which spoke of how God gave people hands to work for a living.

“When I told my husband after the church service that I was planning on doing lessons on brick making, he was not keen on the idea at first, arguing that it was a masculine job. I was determined to pursue my dream and it was during the school holidays that I started moulding bricks,” she said.

Mrs Moto was taught the basic skills of moulding bricks by a neighbour and ever since she mastered the art she has never looked back.

“On my first attempt, I bought six bags of cement and moulded a total of 240 bricks, which were of great quality and people liked them. I then approached the Cowdray Park Bricks Association and asked for space where I could operate from,” she said.

“It is not easy, but I’m not complaining, because I’m now able to send my children to boarding school and put food on the table. Through this business, I have managed to cement the future of my children brick by brick.”

Mrs Moto has employed three people who are helping, especially during the course of the school term.

“When schools open, I go back to work. Instead of closing down business, I hired three youths to help me keep the enterprises operating,” she said.

Mrs Moto intends to register her company ATTAIN and she has since incorporated her children’s names in the company whom she credits for inspiring her.

“Since 2019, the company has been growing in leaps and bounds. We have also managed to purchase a brick moulding machine,” she said.

Mrs Moto said her future plan is to quit her teaching job and concentrate on growing her company.
She attributes her business success to sheer hard work, resilience and having a team that believes in her.

Mrs Moto said her greatest rewards are being able to help families earn a living from the jobs she has created and helping her community to build their dream homes.

Mrs Moto said although her husband was not keen on the business idea when she first mooted it as he thought it was an unusual choice, he now supports her.

“It took some convincing to shift my husband’s thinking about a male-dominated field, but now, he is very supportive,” she said.

Mrs Moto said she has learnt a lot about the construction business and now wishes to expand and manufacture more building materials.