Muyassar Sharifova

Muyassar is a 32-year-old married mother of three children. Her husband is an entrepreneur and Muyassar started her business five years ago in order to support her family. All year she sells fruit that she buys from local farmers. Twice a week, Muyassar travels over 60 km to sell her produce at attractive prices at the busy market. With the loan of $1500 USD from Kiva, she plans to increase the range of her selling goods, and to buy more fruit to sell. Muyassar strives to give her children a better life than she has, including supporting them through a good education. Muyassar is a well-spoken, friendly businesswoman who is worthy of the support of Kiva partners.


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 BC. 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

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