INFLATION FURNACE


INFLATION FURNACE

Around Qera, a man cracks up a tiny bonfire in a spirited attempt to render the metallic wires malleable for reuse. Metal scraps became prized inputs after the Ministry of Mines ordered local steel manufacturers to source inputs from domestic markets as they bemoaned forex shortages. While the price of imported steel has relatively stabilised over the past year due to contraband flooding the market, most construction projects are in limbo due to an orientation towards tight monetary policy. Local steel manufacturers who require significant inputs for their production are working at a quarter of their capacity amid the cocktail of challenges.


In-Picture

WOODEN BANKS

In the sunlit streets of Gotera, a young artisan crouches by a neat stack of handmade wooden piggy banks, presenting one to a passerby for 100 to 200 birr. With simple tools and a practical design, his work speaks to quiet entrepreneurship and community spirit built from the ground up. Each box, crafted with care, carries the promise of savings and small beginnings. In a city of rapid change, his presence offers a moment of patience and purpose...


In-Picture

CRASH AFTERMATH

A young shoeshine boy stands by the crossroad where the street light and rail fence at Lancha Debrezit Road lies in disrepair following a car accident, with twisted metal and debris strewn across the walkway. Chunks of concrete and broken railings force pedestrians to navigate through the wreckage, with the absence of adequate protective barriers between vehicles, pedestrians, and the rail line...


In-Picture

URBAN TILT

In Qilinto, a fallen streetlight pole leans awkwardly across the pavement, its lamp pointing downward as though bowing to the stacks of construction blocks beneath it. Behind the construction materials, a red-orange residential block with barred windows rises quietly, partially obscured by tall trees. The scene dispalys different occurances at once with piles of paving blocks indicating road or walkway work in progress. The damaged streetlight poses both a safety concern and a striking visual co...