Eshkuzi Bekmatov

Eshkuzi is requesting a loan of $800 to enable him to purchase a second dairy cow. The second cow will enable him increase milk production and will provide income security to the family whenever one of the cows is in calf. The income will allow Eshkuzi to provide for his family, take good care of his cows, and supply his neighbors with quality milk.

More about Tajikistan and IMON International

Tajikistan is known for its rich history, which includes a key post along the Silk Road and the end of Alexander the Great's rule. It has also produced great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets, including Rudaki, Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Jomi, and Rumi. The country is home to epic mountain passes, communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, and a civilization that dates back to the fourth millennium BC. Even today, it is a complex mixture of the Islamic faith, Soviet culture, New West culture and Central Asian traditions.

But Tajikistan is also the poorest of the former Soviet republics. The civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the U.S.S.R., further damaged the already weak economy. In addition, 93 percent of the country is mountainous and only 7 percent of the land is arable. These conditions have resulted in high levels of unemployment and have forced hundreds of thousands to seek work in other countries, mainly Russia. While the people of Tajikistan are working to improve its agricultural production and manufacturing sector, nearly two-thirds of the population still live in abject poverty.

IMON's History

Since December 2007, IMON International has worked closely with Kiva and Kiva lenders to ensure that poor and low-income clients represent a viable business proposition. Funds raised through Kiva have already been distributed to thousands of IMON International's clients and will continue to provide thousands more with permanent access to the varied financial services they need. To learn more about IMON International's work, please visit www.imon.tj.