Ergash Karaboev

Karaboev Ergash, a 44-year-old man, is married with seven children. Ergash is a farmer. He plants watermelon, corn, wheat, rice and pumpkins. He comes from a farming family and he does very well financially because he takes good care of his land. His wife (in the photo) is his biggest supporter. She helps him in any way she can and takes good care of him and the house. With this loan, he would like to expand his irrigation system which is fundamental when it comes to farming. The loan will greatly improve Ergash’s income and his family's living standards.

More about Tajikistan and IMON International:
Tajikistan is perhaps best known for its epic mountain passes and its rich history which includes its place as a key post along the Silk Road and events at the end of Alexander the Great's rule. It has produced famous 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 and a civilization that dates back to the 4th 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. A civil war, which ignited soon after its independence from the U.S.S.R., further damaged an 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 productivity and the 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 viable business prospects. 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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