Ahror Kulmatov

Kulmatov Ahror is 39 years old and lives with his 4 children. For the past 8 years he has been farming, planting potatoes, onions and corn to sell as well as for his own family's consumption. Every day he tends to his fields. In the case of corn, he dries it and later threshes it, puts it in sacks and stores it for future sales. The process for planting his fields is first to prepare them with organic fertilizer, plow and sow them, and afterwards irrigate and apply fertilizer and insecticides, if necessary. All this is to insure a good harvest.

Ahror has a friendly family who always tries to help others. In the picture you can see Ahror’s son who also helps him with his business. At the same time, Ahror raises cattle in his house. He will invest the loan he is requesting in the purchase of organic fertilizers to prepare his land to raise potatoes and other crops.

More about Tajikistan and IMON International

Tajikistan is perhaps best known for its rich history, which includes a key post along the Silk Road; the end of Alexander the Great's rule; and its famous great thinkers, philosophers, scientists and poets as Rudaki, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Firdousi, Omar Haiyam, Jomi, Mavlavi Rumi and many others. 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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