{"id":10307,"date":"2025-07-20T10:49:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T10:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/10307\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T10:49:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T10:49:09","slug":"as-south-sudan-struggles-through-economic-crisis-some-artisans-offer-cheap-footwear-made-from-rubber-tires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/10307\/","title":{"rendered":"As South Sudan struggles through economic crisis, some artisans offer cheap footwear made from rubber tires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A Sudanese man cuts a heavy duty machine tire into rubber pieces. The creative work of artisans in South Sudan is fueled by the ongoing economic crisis.Abd Raouf\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

From Rwanda to Kenya, fashioning footwear from discarded tires has long been a mark of local ingenuity.<\/p>\n

In South Sudan, however, the creative work of such artisans is now fueled by an economic crisis that has left the government on the verge of bankruptcy and many people struggling to put food on the table.<\/p>\n

As South Sudan\u2019s oil revenues have dwindled, the government for months has been unable to pay civil servants on time. The cash crisis affects everyone from soldiers to teachers, underscoring the range of economic hardship across the country, and many are looking for ways to keep going.<\/p>\n

Some want cheap shoes, finding them not in supermarkets but in open markets where flip-flops and sandals are fashioned from worn-out tires usually thrown away as rubbish.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

This footwear, made by shoemaker Emmanuel Achuil, is crafted from recycled rubber tires.Michael Atit\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

In Wau, some 650 kilometers from the South Sudanese capital of Juba, shoemaker Emmanuel Achuil works under the shade of a tarpaulin in the town\u2019s bustling main market.<\/p>\n

His hands blackened from grappling with rubber, Achuil uses a blade to carve pieces from discarded tires. Colorful straps are scattered around him like pieces of a puzzle.<\/p>\n

Achuil, who makes five to 10 pairs a week, told the Associated Press that in recent months he\u2019s seen a rise in demand that he and others say is directly related to the rising cost of living here. They say footwear made from scraps of rubber has found a firm place in local markets, confirmed in the ubiquitous displays of such shoes even in open markets in Juba.<\/p>\n

Two years ago, Achuil was getting five to seven customers a month. Now he expects up to 20 of them, he said. Achuil\u2019s shoes can fetch up to 15,000 South Sudanese pounds a pair, or roughly $4, depending on size and quality of finishing. In addition to their affordability, the rough-hewn pairs are praised for their durability.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when things get bad \u2014 no food, no jobs \u2014 this work doesn\u2019t fail me,\u201d Achuil said. \u201cPeople always need shoes, especially cheap ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Akol Majok Ring, a cattle-keeper from the state of Warrap, said he discovered these sandals in March and immediately bought a pair for himself because \u201cthey are good for cattle grazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Shoemaker Emmanuel Achuil works on sandals. Two years ago, he was getting five to seven customers a month. Now he expects up to 20.Michael Atit\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re moving with the cattle all day, these sandals are perfect,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re durable and well-suited for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

The South Sudanese pound has been under pressure since 2023, losing much of its value against the dollar as oil exports are sporadically disrupted by civil war in neighboring Sudan.<\/p>\n

The economy has been in decline for five consecutive years, hampered by violence stemming mostly from the political contest between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar, who is currently under house arrest for alleged subversion.<\/p>\n

Hyperinflation and widespread food insecurity affect nearly 80 per cent of South Sudan\u2019s 11 million people, the same number of people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.<\/p>\n

South Sudan depends on oil revenues to meet 90 per cent of the government\u2019s annual budget, but damage earlier this year to the oil pipeline through Sudan left South Sudanese authorities briefly unable to export any crude.<\/p>\n

The government announced earlier in June that exports were due to resume after repairs to the pipeline.<\/p>\n

Many government workers are effectively without pay, and unemployment is rampant even as the prices of basic goods skyrocket. Leather shoes in the shops can seem a luxury in these circumstances.<\/p>\n

\u201cTire soles last longer,\u201d said Deng Akol Athuai, who has been buying from Achuil for years. \u201cI buy one pair, and it lasts me a year or more. They\u2019re strong, especially for walking on rough roads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Emmanuel Achuil has been making shoes since 1996. He dreams of opening a proper workshop where he could train others.Michael Atit\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n

Gabriel Bataku, a 26-year-old who is unemployed in Wau, said of artisans that they \u201care solving real problems. They just need recognition and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

Achuil has been making shoes since 1996. He is not formally trained. He got his skills as a grade schooler watching older men in their workshops as they went about their business.<\/p>\n

In those days discarded tires were much easier to find, scavenged from garages or sourced through people throwing them away.<\/p>\n

But now, he said, \u201cmore people are doing this work, so the competition for materials is high.\u201d<\/p>\n

He lamented the lack of formal support, from the government and others, that has left artisans struggling to access the tools of their trade. He wants access to better equipment.<\/p>\n

Despite the difficulties, he dreams of opening a proper workshop where he would train others. He also hopes to be able to expand his business to other towns in South Sudan.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I had better cutting tools, and a way to expand, I could train young people,\u201d he said. \u201cMany are idle here in Wau. This skill could help them survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Achuil says the lack of formal support, from the government and others, has left artisans struggling to access equipment for their trade.Michael Atit\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: A Sudanese man cuts a heavy duty machine tire into rubber pieces. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10308,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,45,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":["post-10307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-alberta","tag-arts-news","tag-bc","tag-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news-video","tag-british-columbia","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canada-news","tag-canada-sports","tag-canada-sports-news","tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","tag-canadian-breaking-news","tag-canadian-news","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-environment","tag-federal-government","tag-foreign-news","tag-globe-and-mail","tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","tag-government","tag-life-news","tag-lifestyle","tag-local-news","tag-manitoba","tag-national-news","tag-new-brunswick","tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","tag-northwest-territories","tag-nova-scotia","tag-nunavut","tag-ontario","tag-pei","tag-photos","tag-political-news","tag-political-opinion","tag-politics","tag-politics-news","tag-quebec","tag-sports-news","tag-technology","tag-travel","tag-trudeau","tag-us-news","tag-world-news","tag-yukon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}