Shuhrat Vahitov

Shuhrat has been running his business for about two years. He rents a retail store where he sells different kinds of housewares. His business is the family’s main source of income. Shuhrat is trying to have a wide range of goods of good quality to meet the requirements of his customers and to satisfy the needs of clients with different levels of income.

Today, Shuhrat requests $3000 for the term of 12 months. This is the first time that Shuhrat has asked for a loan through IMON International and Kiva. It will be used to buy more housewares in order to increase the range of his goods. Due to the profitability of his business, the determination of this micro-entrepreneur and his experience in the business, this customer is qualified to receive this loan.

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 communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, epic mountain passes, and a civilization that dates back to the 4th millennium B.C. And, 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% of the country is mountainous and only 7% 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