The Kilns of Kulalin

Posted: 21 May 2004

Oxfam and its partner ACTED are helping Afghan potters both improve the quality of their ceramics and increase their income.

A potter working in Kulalin, Afganistan. For 30 families in Kulalin, the production of ceramic bowls is their sole source of income.

By: Kenny Rae/Oxfam

The village of Kulalin has a rich tradition of pottery making dating back more than 300 years. Like many villages in Istalif, Kulalin found itself on the front line during the fighting between Taliban and Northern Alliance forces in the mid 1990's, forcing the ceramics trade in Kulalin to shut down completely. Houses, schools, and community buildings were destroyed, as well as the workshops and kilns of potters.

Most of Kulalin's residents fled to the relative safety of Kabul or Pakistan. As they begun to return to Istalif in 2002, many aid agencies—including Oxfam—provided them with the resources and training to rebuild their homes, and fire up their ceramics production to bring in much needed revenue.

For 30 families in Kulalin, located in the district of Istalif in eastern Afghanistan, the production of simple ceramic bowls is their sole source of income. Quartz, which is ground into a fine powder and used as a glaze, is dug out of the nearby hillsides as well as the clay used to make the bowls. Women paint and decorate the pottery and children gather the firewood that is used to fire the kilns.

Last year, ACTED, a French organization that helped in rebuilding the village's kilns and workshops, asked Oxfam to support a training program to develop the skills of the potters. Oxfam hired a Pakistani ceramics teacher, Argi Karimi, to evaluate the skills and techniques of Kulalin's potters and make recommendations for improvements. Some of the potters were at first resistant to changing their techniques, especially in consideration of the fact that Argi is both an outsider and a woman. However, they soon recognized and appreciated Argi's expertise.

Potters in Kulalin traditionally produced large quantities of bowls in each kiln firing, resulting in diminished quality and ultimately a lower price on the local market. The completed pieces, produced in mass quantities, sell for around 6 Afghanis or 12 cents US in the local bazaar or to wholesalers from Kabul.

Pakistani ceramics teacher Argi Karimi gives hands-on instruction to a potter in Kulalin.

By: Kenny Rae/Oxfam

Argi is working with 30 potters in the village to improve the quality and marketability of their bowls, from simple improvements such as not stacking their bowls in the kiln during firing to more advanced techniques such as diversifying their designs. In addition to the original bowls, decorated with a simple clear glaze, the artisans are now producing more elaborate pieces-one of many changes that are adding precious value to their craftsmanship.

The new strategy is paying off. As news of the project has spread, there has been renewed interest in Kulalin ceramics. As their income increases, many potters are now selling only their best quality products in the local bazaar.

As well as providing technical assistance for the potters, Oxfam is supporting the formation of an "economic interest group," comprised of representatives from the local ceramics trade and led by a professional business development trainer. The group will work to improve the marketing of Kulalin ceramics, including the opening of a Kulalin Pottery store in Kabul.

These significant improvements are helping increase income for craftsmen in a war-torn country, and reviving a 300 year old tradition.