Asadullah Working with Lapis © Peer Nazar
It is great to share actual pictures of young Afghans working to process lapis lazuli stones in Balkh Province. Asadullah is from Qultaq Village in Dawlat Abad and is 20 years old. This hard-working young man is drilling tiny 2mm micro lapis beads. He has been working for two years and earns the equivalent of $ 7,000 U.S. per year.
Hait Murad Cutting Micro Beads © Peer Nazar
Hait Murad, another ethnic Turkmen lapis worker from the same village, is 25 years old. He has been working for 10 years and earns the equivalent of $ 10,000 U.S. per year. Notice his Afghan “mosque hat” made in Pakistan.
Electricity for the Workshop © Peer Nazar
In their village, there is no main power, so they use this generator to provide power for their drills and light to work.
There are only 15 people employed in this area, so these young Afghans feed and support large extended families.
Peer Nazar, the Afghan merchant who sends me their lapis beads to sell in our store, says that conditions are better now; there is no tribal war or terrorism, and there is peace in their area.
A Sharpener Powered by a Bicycle © Peer Nazar
The young men invented this sharpener using a bicycle for power and to sew.
What is amazing is that these Turkmen people have carved out a life for themselves in this village with no assistance and no leadership. They carried the lapis lazuli stones from the mines in Badakhshan and set up the processing facility by themselves.
It is even more serendipitous that we have made contact with these people through Peer Nazar and are able to sell their beads in Langley, Washington.
Abdul Rehman and M. Qayoom Grinding Beads © Peer Nazar
Thanks folks, what you are doing is wonderful. So much is made of the nasty people in Afghanistan, it’s nice to see the other side. Like us, they want peace in their land and safety for their families. Bless them and bless you, Mike
Thank you, Sharon and Fred. It is good to read a positive story about lapis workers in Afganistan. Even though I wear little jewelry now, it makes me want to buy something. Thank you for all that you do and are. I’ll be in.
Excellent… I love the people connecting with people and making a difference.
Sharon – We too sell Peer Nazar’s jewellery in Atlanta and share your admiration for the good he is doing for his workers and their families.
We usually communicate with him by email – peernazar@gmail.com but he now is not responsive. Do you have a phone number or address we could try?
We constantly pray for his safety given his circumstances as I am sure you share this concern.