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April 2010 Archives

Long Stitch

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 11:08 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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Seated behind a Chinese made Butterfly sewing machine, Rahulla Zobid Ibrahim skillfully handles a plain weave shirting selected for a traditional tunic in Midan Shar, the capital of Wardak province on April 3, 2010. As a life-long tailor, Ibrahim has witnessed the ever-changing patterns of conflict in Afghanistan. "I have seen the Russians, the Taliban, and now the Americans," said Ibrahim. "All this time I have worked in a tailor shop."

Words and Photo by James Lee

Tin Wall

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 11:06 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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Flattened tins of vegetable oil line the outside walls of a rural mechanic shop in Wardak province, Afghanistan on April 4, 2010. Cooking oil and wheat have become increasingly expensive food items for the estimated 9 million Afghans that live on less than a dollar a day. According to USAID, impoverished families in rural provinces may face long-term hardships. While the GDP of Afghanistan slowly increases, the economic benefits of reconstruction have been limited to elites located in urban areas. This unequal distribution has permitted the economic gap between the urban rich and the rural poor to widen.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Kumkum Fan

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 11:03 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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A bicycle fender is decorated with a photograph of Hindustani singer Kumkum Sanyal in Jalrez district, Wardak province on April 4, 2010.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Offensive Player

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 11:01 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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After regaining possession of the ball, a sudden burst of speed by Bahyer Neyamatkhan leaves two defensive players on the ground during a football match at Combat Outpost Conlon, Wardak province on April 4, 2010. Neyamatkahn is a guard employed by an Afghan security contractor.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Finding Support

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:58 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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Afghan National Army Sergeant Mohammad Yassin speaks with a tribal elder from the village of Nawabatt in Jalrez district, Wardak province on March 30, 2010. Before international military forces can transfer power, Afghan forces must gain popular support and demonstrate they can provide sustainable security at the local level.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Out of Uniform

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:55 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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After serving three years with the Afghan National Army's 1st Company, 2nd Kandak, Abdullah Wahid Mohammad Hussain received a military discharge and returned home. Not all Afghan soldiers wait to be discharged before taking off their uniforms. According to official records, just over 100 soldiers are currently assigned to the 1st Company. This number includes 25 soldiers that are listed as missing.  Many of these absent soldiers simply removed their uniforms and walked away. An inability to transfer money to family members in remote villages and low pay may be responsible for many of these unauthorized absences.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Grave Marker

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:52 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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Colorful strips of fabric hang above a roadside burial site in Jalrez district, Wardak province on April 1, 2010. Last year, the number of Afghan civilian deaths related to armed conflict climbed to its highest level in more than eight years. Some of these deaths were attributed to tragic mistakes by international military forces. According to a 2009 report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, international military airstrikes accounted for the largest percentage of these deadly incidents.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Signs of Life

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:50 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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Marked in black, expressive graffiti from a felt pen covers a wall inside the Afghan barracks at Combat Outpost Conlon, Wardak province on April 4, 2010.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Incoming Call

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:46 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
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With a cellular phone pressed to his ear, Afghan National Army soldier Mohammad Shafiq Khan Rasool settles into a low squat after hearing his ring tone near the entrance to the Afghan barracks at Combat Outpost Conlon, Wardak province on April 3, 2010.

Words and Photo by James Lee

Improvised Shelter

By
Matt Saint
on April 8, 2010 10:43 AM Share: Share on Facebook submit to reddit StumbleUpon Toolbar
 
jl040710-1.jpgPatched with plastic and cardboard, this barracks window leads to a small room at Combat Outpost Conlon, Wardak province on April 4, 2010. For the six Afghan soldiers that live inside, a blanket nailed to the wall functions as their makeshift door. A contract worth more than half a million dollars was awarded to a local contractor to improve the force protection and living conditions of the Afghan National Army's 1st Company, 2nd Kandak. Delivering the necessary construction materials has proven difficult. According to International Security Assistance Force representatives, employees from the Ferdaws Bahawi Construction Company have been unable to reach the construction site due to alleged extortion attempts at checkpoints operated by the Afghan National Police and the Afghan Public Protection Program.

Words and Photo by James Lee

« March 2010 | Main Index | Archives | May 2010 »
Look Closer

James Lee has partnered with the Museum of Ventura County to create a special two day photography exhibit.

Earlier this year, Lee used this blog to share his stories as a photographer in today's Afghanistan. His previous work has included articles on humanitarian aid in South Asia and sectarian conflict in the Middle East.

Lee graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in international relations, and served in the United States Marine Corps prior to becoming a photographer.

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