Shafahet Musayev

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Shafahet Musayev by Norwegian Microcredit LLC (Normicro) in Azerbaijan. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 16 - 18 months, Norwegian Microcredit LLC (Normicro) will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Shafahet owns a small home goods stand across from his home on a quiet, shaded Agsu street. He’s been in business for seven years, selling beautiful crystal and glassware, tea sets, and tablecloths. His customers are new brides and their relatives purchasing wedding gifts. Hospitality is a central element of the Azerbaijani culture, and every home, no matter how rich or poor, has an attractive tea service set ready to serve guests. Hosts decorate their tables with crystal goblets full of candied plums, home-grown fruits colorfully displayed on crystal platters, and oval crystal bowls full of sugar cubes and chocolates. Shafahet used his Kiva-funded loan to purchase more goods in preparation for the Azerbaijani “wedding season.” Most Azerbaijani weddings occur during the summer, and Shafahet’s business is very strong during this time. Shafahet’s wife runs a business in an adjacent shop selling clothing. Together, they are improving their family’s living situation, providing necessities for their children and for repairing their home.

Photo: Shafahet poses in his shop. (It turns out that I snapped the photo right when Shafahet was blinking! Sorry about that!)