Lebanese shoemaker struggles to keep his profession alive

Record ID: 1701275

  • Title: Lebanese shoemaker struggles to keep his profession alive
  • Date: 7th December 2022
  • Summary: BOURJ HAMMOUD, LEBANON (DECEMBER 1, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, IN HIS WORKSHOP WORKING AND SINGING KECHICHIAN SHARPENING A KNIFE KECHICHIAN CUTTING A PIECE OF LEATHER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, SAYING: "Everyone today is searching for shoes depending on their budget. Because all shoes are arriving with petrochemical injections, which means it’s not leather. Petrochemical means from petrol they are producing leather. It’s like leather, but they end up making shoes. For example this boot, last time this lady brought this boot that was totally damaged." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, SAYING: "If you want to make this in real leather, the price would range between $100 or $150, but this pair is probably for $15 or $20, so what has happened, the industry died. The shoe sole is also petrochemical, we say polyurethane, a machine does it in one press, like this one and then you have shoes. All this affected our industry." SHOES DISPLAYED / JACKSON SHOES WALL IN WORKSHOP SHOWING PICTURES OF HIS FAMILY AND HIMSELF VARIOUS OF KECHICHIAN WORKING AND SINGING KECHICHIAN PLACING LEATHER ON THE TABLE SEWING MACHINE IN KECHICHIAN'S WORKSHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, SAYING: "If I want to put on the generator to have light here, I would have to pay three million Lebanese Liras or four million Lebanese Liras for electricity. From where am I going to bring three, four million Lebanese Liras every month. No, I work with no electricity. When the electricity comes, it comes." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, SAYING: "For example once the electricity is on I have to sew and scrape here. I am obliged now to send it to some other factory. There is someone that comes, he does the model and I pay him." KECHICHIAN SHARPENING HIS KNIFE AND WORKING KECHICHIAN CUTTING LEATHER VARIOUS OF KECHICHIAN WORKING WITH A PLIER AND NAILS ON A SHOE MOULD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SHOEMAKER, HAGOP KECHICHIAN, SAYING: "The material that we need, we are not finding. I mean, really, our industry demands a lot of raw materials. Leather, glue, nails, cables, buttons, heels; all of these we don’t find. What we find, we bring."
  • Embargoed: 21st December 2022 08:40
  • Keywords: Beirut Bourj Hammoud Lebanon crisis leather shoemaker shoes
  • Location: BOURJ HAMMOUD, LEBANON
  • City: BOURJ HAMMOUD, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Living/Lifestyle,Middle East,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001450505122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:For as long as he remembers, Hagop Kechichian has been in the world of shoemaking. It all started with his father who taught him the basics from a very young age and by 12, Kechichian followed his father's footsteps.
    Kechichian became very known in his neighbourhood and was given the nickname Jackson due to his love for the pop band Jackson 5 and for his famous Jackson shoes.
    Every morning he wakes up around three or four in the morning, meets with his friends for a coffee and opens his workshop around six a.m. He is known for his character and unique look: his hats, cigars and love for singing and music.
    He would like to open his workshop for longer than four p.m, but given the economic situation in Lebanon his workload has dwindled and it has become harder to sustain his profession.
    "Everyone today is searching for shoes depending on their budget… If you want to make this in real leather, the price would range between $100 or $150, but this pair is probably for $15 or $20, so what has happened, the industry died,” the father of three said.
    Competing with cheaper imports, Kechichian says his industry is also affected by spikes in prices and lack of available raw material.
    With frequent power cuts and his inability to pay for a private generator, he simply waits for the electricity to work or ends up working manually using knives, hammers and pliers.
    "If I want to put on the generator to have light here, I would have to pay three million Lebanese Liras or four million Lebanese Liras for electricity. From where am I going to bring three, four million Lebanese Liras every month. No, I work with no electricity. When the electricity comes, it comes," he said.
    Kechichian previously had at least 8 people working in the shop with him, producing approximately a hundred shoes everyday but currently keeps his workshop open to work on small productions to fulfil his passion for the craft.
    "Thank God, we worked, made a name. But my children I did not bring them in because I told them, sons, this industry, here especially in Lebanon, has no hope. We are going backwards. There are no more factories, everything is closed. Not even the leather maker exists anymore."
    (Production: Emilie Madi, Maria Semerdjian)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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