Craftsmen finally see upswing in Afghanistan after civil war, turmoil

[Turborama]

By Pamela Constable
Washington Post / April 12, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan - For a moment, it sounds like Santa's elves are at work in the little cobbler's shop in a dingy part of the capital. Hammers tap out a rhythm on leather soles, heavy shears snip and snap, and a foot-powered sewing machine whirrs in the corner.

The conditions are far from festive, though. There is a faint stench of glue, which gets stronger in hot weather. A single bulb burns in the ceiling as the owner, Zabiullah, and his crew of four young men bend over their tasks, surrounded by piles of rubber heels, leather straps, and wooden molds of women's feet.

"My father made beautiful shoes, with Afghan leather, that lasted five years. He was so proud of them. Now, I have to use these cheap materials from Pakistan and the shoes don't last a year," Zabiullah said ruefully. "But at least I am back in my country, using my skills and feeding my family."

Like thousands of other craftsmen and small business owners here, Zabiullah, 42, is just beginning to make ends meet after a 20-year ordeal that included a flight from civil war, a decade in exile, and a postwar homecoming to a flood of cheap foreign imports that nearly drove him into bankruptcy.

Now, as the fight between Taliban insurgents and Afghan and international forces enters its eighth year, he worries that deepening insecurity will shut down the economy, bring investment to a halt, and destroy his dream of producing sturdy Afghan shoes once again.

Statistically, Afghanistan is on a slow but steady economic upswing. Since the overthrow of Taliban rule and the establishment of a Western-backed government in 2002, the growth rate has averaged 9 percent a year. Inflation has fallen from 24 percent to 7 percent, the currency is stable, and the annual per capita income has risen from $186 to $400.

More: http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2009/04/12/craftsmen_finally_see_upswing_in_afghanistan_after_civil_war_turmoil/