Sharif Dultaev

Dultaev Sharif is married and has two children. Eleven years ago, determined that his children should go to college to get ahead, he started a business of processing and selling dried apricots so as to be able to make enough money to pay for their schooling. His experience in this kind of business allows him to expand his clientele day by day.

Right now, Sharif needs a loan of $3,000. He is going to use the loan to purchase, process, and sell larger quantities of dried apricots. With your help, Sharif will someday be able to feel proud that through much effort, his children went to college and became honorable people.

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.

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