Motivational
Man Uses Sargassum Bricks to Create Homes for Those in Need
Table of Contents
Sargassum Bricks: Turning Invasive Seaweed Into Transformative Solutions
What if everything we see as a challenge in our world has the potential to become an opportunity?
Sargassum is an invasive seaweed that is spreading throughout Mexico and Florida, causing a downturn in tourism and raising a series of health concerns. Using the brown sargassum seaweed from the beaches of the Caribbean in Mexico, Omar Vasquez has successfully transformed this invasive species into low-cost sustainable building bricks known as sargassum bricks, or Sargablock.
He has created over 40 homes in the Riviera Maya, with nearly half of them being donated to those in need, including single mothers and the elderly.
How Were Sargablocks Invented?
Omar began his journey in 2015 when the shores of Riviera Maya first started receiving sargassum seaweed from the ocean. Being a popular tourist destination on Mexico’s Caribbean coastline, the seaweed quickly threatened the local tourism industry.
However, Omar welcomed the unannounced guests without judgment. He saw it as an opportunity to help those in need.
“When all the sargassum arrives, the first thing people do is complain. It smells bad, it stinks, it has fleas, it has everything bad,” says Omar Vasquez in the YouTube video.
He started collecting the seaweed in small quantities to experiment with it by using it as a fertilizer for his Nursery business. Within one year he obtained the necessary permits, employed over 300 families, and started collecting the sargassum seaweed from the beaches of Mexico’s hotels and resorts. Today, Omar’s team collects over 40 metric tons of sargassum from the beaches of Mexico each day.
It was not long before Vasquez had the idea of turning the seaweed into sargassum bricks to be used as sustainable construction material.
His inspiration behind this idea? The childhood memory of his grandparent’s house. Omar saw the number of people in need of houses and how Sargablocks could help achieve so many unfulfilled dreams.
Omar Vesquez’s Mexican Dream
Omar is not just an entrepreneur but also a revolutionary. He is working towards building a dream he calls the “Mexican Dream.”
“[I want to] have the best company in Mexico that pays the best salaries. That way people don’t have to cross the border and risk their lives like we did,” Expresses Vasquez.
The inspirational man crossed borders to the US with his mother at the tender age of 8. He worked hard but eventually dreamed of returning to Mexico, his birthplace.
“I always wanted to come back to Mexico and live my Mexican dream. Not the American dream … I wanted to come back and do something for my country,”
Omar’s Sargablock company has equitable pay and focuses on building and donating houses made from sustainable sargassum bricks to the underprivileged.
Benefits of Sargassum Bricks
Sargassum bricks are affordable and sustainable. They require less energy and time to make compared to traditional clay bricks.
Using a machine, Omar Vasquez and his team create over 1,000 Sargablocks per day. These bricks—made of over 40% sargassum and 60% other organic material—only require 4 hours of sunbaking before they are ready; in contrast to traditional clay bricks, which can take weeks to be prepared for use.
Casa Angelita: The first Sargassum Home Ever Built
The first house built with Sargablocks has stood strong for the past four years, enduring hurricanes and tropical storms. Vasquez named it Casa Angelita after the loving memory of his mother, who played an important role in inspiring him to pursue his Mexican Dream through Sargablock.
Sargassum seaweed’s appearance is increasing yearly, and this invasive species is now affecting regions for up to 9 months a year. Omar is exploring licensing and franchising options for the recipe of sargablocks, and the idea of using sargablocks is gaining global exposure.
Sargassum Brick Ted Talk
Everything is an opportunity, even the worst. And that is precisely the name of Omar’s TED talk. Here, he talks about his life, his inspiration, and his dreams.
“A lot of things expire… The only thing that won’t expire are dreams. So keep dreaming.”
– Omar vasquez ted talk
IC INSPIRATION
Omar Vasquez’s story is inspirational beyond measure.
He introduced a different point of view toward a challenge that was only being looked at from all the bad it was causing. But he went beyond judgment and proved that challenges are hidden opportunities, waiting to be tapped into.
A shift in perspective allowed him to create and pursue his Mexican Dream. He kept a positive attitude and leveraged his connection with nature to decipher the growing issue of sargassum seaweed as a sign that people need help.
His need to help people pushed him to find an incredible solution.
This goes to show that a simple shift in mindset, and maintaining a positive attitude can help overcome any challenge we may encounter in our lives.