Monrovia, Jan. 29 -- The story of car spraying in Liberia is one passed down through generations. In 2008, Sah Fallah was just a teenager when his father introduced him to the trade. Now 39, Fallah has spent nearly two decades as a technician in the same auto workshop. Today, he is the boss, overseeing three apprentices.

At their outdoor workshop in Waterside-one of Liberia's busiest commercial hubs-the air is thick with the sounds of passing trucks and motorbikes. Men are busy peddling iron and stripping away old newspapers used to mask cars for refinishing. Fallah's eyes remain fixed on his apprentices as they transform a Toyota Corolla from red to black.

For Fallah and his team, this laborious work is a means of survival, earning the...