By John Houanihau

Thomas Taloga, a father of four from Malaita Province, used to play football for clubs like Kolale FC, Marist FC, Malaita Kings, and Honiara City FC. His late father was a brickmaker and owned a small brick production business.

As a young man, Thomas struggled to find his purpose. After years of playing football, he moved to Australia under the seasonal labor mobility scheme. He sent money back home to support his family while saving a little for himself.

 In 2019, his father passed away, leaving behind only a small sago palm leaf hut used for brick making.

 “I came back to Honiara after my father’s death and took over the business. It was tough, challenging and with lots of uncertainties.

Despite that, success in business usually comes through hard work and overcoming challenges,” said Thomas Taloga, the manager of TT Bricks.

TT Bricks is located next to Sea King’s building in Central Honiara beside MID and makes three sizes of bricks: 4 by 8, 6 by 8, and 8 by 8.

Thomas shared that when he first returned, the temporary leaf hut his father built would leak heavily during the rainy season, forcing them to stop work. His father had a vision to expand the business after securing that piece of land.

Determined to keep his father’s vision alive, Taloga used the little money he saved from his seasonal job to keep the business running.

 At first, he had only eight workers who used spades to make bricks. As demand for bricks grew, he struggled to keep up the production to meet the soaring demand from his customers.

 In the 3rd quarter of 2023, Ben from SISBEC introduced the BLP Grants for SMEs to him and encouraged him to apply for a grant.

“With his support, we applied for a BLP grant to help us improve certain aspects of our operation. In the first quarter of 2024, our grant application was approved, and SBD 45,000 was paid into TT Bricks’ bank account in April of 2024. The grant allowed us to buy a concrete mixer and tools and helped us build a permanent shed for brick production,’’ shared Taloga.

With the grant support, TT Bricks increased production from 320 bricks to 600 bricks per day. The expansion also led to hiring more workers, increasing the number of employees from 8 to 14, and there is no longer disturbance to brick productions during the rainy season.

Thomas Taloga and his wife Judith were grateful to BLP for their grant support. Besides, they also appreciate the ongoing support of the Solomon Islands Small Business Enterprise Centre through training and business advisory services.

For Taloga, running this small business is not just about making a living—it’s about helping others. He wants to provide job opportunities and reduce unemployment in Honiara.

 “Many young people have no jobs and end up getting into trouble. My brothers used to struggle too, but since they started working in the business, their lives have improved,” he shared.

 As a manager and business owner, Thomas faces challenges, especially within his own family.

 “My wife is the accountant, and we work hard to support our family, but some relatives don’t understand our vision. They think they won’t benefit, but we are doing this for everyone,” he said.

 Even when things get tough, he keeps going. “Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I trust God. Good things come through challenges,” he said.

 “We are happy that we can meet customer demand. Some of our clients are individuals, while others are companies like Y-Sato and more,” he said.

 He encourages young people to believe in themselves and take action. “Don’t doubt yourself. If you work hard, you can create jobs and help your family, community, and country.”

TT Brick, as a venture, is proud to contribute to major building projects in our city, such as commercial buildings, school buildings, residential buildings, etc.  We have a slogan which reads, “TT Bricks building the nation”.

 “Hard work pays off. Believe in yourself, trust God, and go after your dreams,” Thomas said.

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