Young Afghan shoemaker learns skills from Batavia business
A young female entrepreneur from Afghanistan recently spent time in Batavia as part of a tour of U.S. businesses. The visit was sponsored by Bpeace and hosted by p.w. minor, the Batavia-based shoe manufacturer located on Treadeasy Avenue.
Shahla Akbari is a 19-year-old shoemaker from Kabul. She started her company with money from her mother, Fatima. Just one year later, Shahla’s shoes have grown so popular she can’t keep up with demand.
Her team currently produces 20 pairs of shoes per day, all by hand. All leather is cut with scissors and all stitching is done with one pedal-operated sewing machine. Outsoles are made from used vehicle tires.
Shahla brought two pair of men’s shoes with her for her visit to p.w. minor.
“The shoes produced by Shahla’s shoe company are extraordinary," said CEO Hank Minor. “The attention to detail and overall quality is amazing, considering they are made completely by hand with no automated machinery.”
The shoes remain at p.w. minor to remind the employees of the possibilities.
“We learned from her — just how much you can do with so little," he said. "It's very inspiring for everyone.”
While at the p.w. minor factory, Shahla actually produced her own pair of shoes. She also spent time with sales and marketing personnel, and learned about branding and how important customer service is.
Bpeace is a nonprofit network of business professionals which volunteers to teach skills to entrepreneurs in conflict-affected countries. The goal is to help them create significant employment for all, and expand the economic power of women.
Fundamentally, Bpeace believes that creating jobs creates peace. So does CEO Minor, who said he and his employees were doing their bit to promote world peace by sharing their knowledge with Shahla, who stayed for four days during the last week of October.
A total of 40 companies in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and California are hosting an Afghan entrepreneur as part of the Bpeace network.
p.w. minor specializes in foot health, offering quality footwear and foot-care products. It is currently under its fourth generation of family ownership and management.
