Mission: Our mission is to provide our members with lending services to establish and expand their private businesses and, through that, to improve their living condition and create employment opportunities. 

History and Impact: Komak, which means "help" in Azerbaijani, is a credit union established in 1999 by 20 union members. Since 1999, Komak has established relations with the World Bank, Kiva, Danish Refugee Council, Social Fund for Development of Internally Displaced People in Azerbaijan, PLANIS, IKA and TURAN Bank, and has disbursed hundreds of loans to borrowers throughout the country.

Today, Komak has 4 field offices serving Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan; Absheron, the densely populated region surrounding Baku; Khachmaz, Azerbaijan’s northernmost city; and the rural region of Fuzuli. All branch offices are engaged full-time in providing microfinance services to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other low-income groups within Azerbaijan (IDPs are refugees who have not crossed an international border).

In 2007, the Mix Market, a leading source of performance data on MFIs around the world, awarded Komak a certificate of transparency with 5 diamonds, the highest award given. In 2009, Komak was cited in a report by the United Nations General Assembly as one of Azerbaijan's prominent forces in restoring the local economy by giving small and medium enterprises access to credit.

As of December 2011, Komak serves more than 1,800 active members. Out of these clients, 80% are IDPs, 40% are female, 44% are engaged in trading or retail, 40% in animal breeding, 11% in the service sector, 3% in small-scale production, and 2% in other agricultural affairs. Komak's total outstanding portfolio is approximately US$4.6 million, and its average loan amount is $2,600.

Komak began fundraising on Kiva at the end of 2006. Since then, they have lent nearly $3.25 million to 2,175 borrowers through Kiva.

Despite the success of Komak's work, the demand for microfinance services remains very high in Azerbaijan. The country’s rural regions, where the unemployment rate reaches 30%, face a particularly difficult economic situation. Access to credit remains rare due to the dearth of credit organizations working in outlying regions.

In order for Komak to achieve better outreach in serving IDP families and female clients, reach new regions of the country, and improve its financial and organizational sustainability, there is a need for additional funding.

Komak can be reached via email at komak_ki@mail.ru. Join its Kiva lending team, Friends of Komak, and visit its blog to learn more!