Kabidula Investment

Upcycling quarry dust to affordable & eco-friendly housing construction blocks
e_sponsors
2019 SEED Africa & South Africa Climate Adaptation Awards; Government of Flanders
Sector
Waste Management
e_city
Mzuzu
e_country
Malawi

Kabidula Investment produces quarry blocks using leftover quarry dust from conventional quarry mines. The enterprise avoids the use of river sand and burnt clay bricks, as sand mining causes river siltation and river bank fall-in while burning bricks using firewood aggravates deforestation.

As eco-blocks are produced at a competitive price and quality, more environmentally-friendly and cost-conscious consumers are switching from conventional burnt bricks to eco-blocks. The growing market for quarry blocks represents an opportunity for growth in this sector.

Eco-Inclusive Impacts
Kabidula Investment has already produced 1000 eco-blocks, thereby contributing to reduced deforestation resulting from conventional brick production in its community.
  • Providing part-time employment to five people, enabling them to meet their basic household needs
  • Preparing to provide free training for block-making to ten youth groups annually



  • Producing 1000 eco-blocks, thereby contributed to reducing deforestation through conventional quarry block production
  • Implementing an outreach forest management programme targeting ten youth and women groups, resulting in an expected conservation area of five ha per year
  • Generating income of MK600,000 during the test phase by selling 1000 eco-blocks
  • Distributing MK270,000 in wages to employees
  • Expecting to employ ten skilled and ten unskilled workers in the first year of operation with an average monthly salary of MK80,000

Partners

Kabidula Investment produces quarry blocks using leftover quarry dust from conventional quarry mines. The business targets households and business customers with plans to construct housing and business buildings in Mzuzu city.

Green Frontiers Initiative is a social enterprise that facilitates training for entrepreneurship, natural resource management and recycling technologies.

Umodzi Consulting is a local advisory firm that supports Kabidula in developing a business plan, marketing concepts and a financing strategy.

Mzuzu city council is a public agent that provides data on local estate development which is key for strategic expansion planning.