Ozodakhon Odilova

For many years Ozodakhon has been selling fabrics for women’s clothing at the market. She knows her business very well and her fabrics are among the best at the market. By now she has many clients. Ozodakhon is a young mother with one child and her husband works as a taxi driver. She wants to borrow money to purchase more goods to sell, thus increasing her profit, which she will use to provide better living conditions for her family.

More about Tajikistan and IMON International

Tajikistan is perhaps best known for its rich history. It was a key post along the Silk Road and is where the rule of Alexander the Great ended. It is famous for its great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets such as: Rudaki, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Firdousi, Omar Haiyam, Jomi, Mavlavi Rumi and many others. The country is home to epic mountain passes, communities that still speak the ancient Sogdian language, 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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