The old profession of shoe mending, mobile tailoring, plastic repairer - What happened to them? My experience in Cyprus

In this age and time when life has transformed so much into technology and fashion, one can hardly find craft-men or people still practicing one or two crafts profession like shoe mending, mobile tailoring, plastic repairer, etc...

I have been in Cyprus for quit some time and fortunate enough to meet quite a few of them who still practice some of these profession though they are all old people and I can tell you where to find some of them.

Some time in 2017, I met one kind man between the age of 55-60 in Gonyeli. He mends clothes, bags and leather materials. 

After walking for so long under the hot sun, I finally located one shop in an old building by the corner of the road. So I entered the shop and saw this man working. I greeted him and he gestured to me to sit and give him a few minutes to finish the work at hand. After a few minutes, he spoke to me in Turkish and I replied in English... Though we wouldn't understand each other, I explained to him that I wanted to mend my bag. He took the bag and began working on it. While he was working he asked me where am from, and I told him... Then he told me he have some African students as tenants in his house. After doing justice to the bag, he gave it to me to check if it was okay and I said yes. And just as I was about giving him money for the service, he told me I shouldn't worry and I was wow... for free? That was it and I left.

Most times when I have something to mend I prefer to go to the City Centre in Lefkosa. There I always meet this man, Arif Nurak, a shoe mender in his shop located next to Bandabulya, close to the border with south Cyprus. He does my job well and doesn't charge so much. From my experience anytime I go there, he is always busy with work which causes delays in my work but I'm always ready to leave the job and come collected it some other time.

Arif Nurak, a shoe mender in his shop located next to Bandabulya; Source: Havadis

There was a day it was so urgent, and there was nothing he could do to help so he directed me to another place close by where I can get it done instantly. I tried to locate the place and found out that the owner of the shop was staying in the same house and using his garage as his workshop. He looks so relaxed and wasn't one who depends on the profession to earn a living. At the time I got there, the shop was locked. His daughter told him I was there to do a job, he came out to see me and told me how much it could cost.... And I was like... What?? that is too much... But I had no choice than to agree with him. He opened his shop and did my work for me and I left.

And there's this other man too that everyone may know very well. He sits at a corner just close to the bus stop at city centre. But I have not been able to tell if he was a craft man or a beggar but some times I see him shinning shoes for people and other time I see people giving him money.

That is my experience with a few of them in Lefkosa and Gonyeli, north Cyprus

In most developed countries, these profession has been long forgotten due to the fact that our generation no longer see these jobs as lucrative and one that is worth taking up. These has not been helped with the increase in designers shoes, bags and clothings coming from abroad.

While growing up as a child in Nigeria, these profession were well practiced with most youths engaging in it. At the time there is hardly a street or community where you don't find them but fast forward to 20 years after, the reverse is the case as no one is willing to do such a profession they describe as too low for their standard.

I could remember then that there was this shoe mender, who made so much money from the profession from which he sent his children to the best schools there was, built a big house and owned a very nice car but when you visit him at his shop, you won't recognize him because most of the time, he wear rags and sit on the floor while working. But it's a different ball game when you see him outside and you might even mistake him for a banker.

In conclusion no work is demeaning and useless, it all depends on how you handle it, your purpose for doing it, and the goal you set out for yourself.

Don't say some profession are not relevant anymore..... They are and until you start seeing it like that, you won't appreciate it.

By Olomo