"In the rugged Hindu Kush mountains of eastern Afghanistan, hundreds of men scour the rocky Kunar riverbed for precious gold dust, creating a livelihood amid limited economic options."
"Delawar, 45, joined these gold prospectors after leaving his construction job seven hours from his Kabul home. There are not many job opportunities in the country, and in this way, we have created work for ourselves."
"Gul Ahmad Jan, 35, claims the work can be lucrative. We can get up to about 1gm of gold, worth approximately 8,000 Afghani ($125) in just one week."
In the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, men pan for gold dust along the Kunar riverbed to sustain their livelihoods. With few job opportunities, they excavate dry river sections and wash their finds with river water. Delawar, a former construction worker, highlights the scarcity of jobs, while Gul Ahmad Jan notes the potential for profit, claiming they can find up to 1 gram of gold worth about 8,000 Afghani in a week. Gold panning has been a practice in Kunar for over a decade, despite the country's untapped natural resources.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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