In the remote village of Derzud in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan region, Fotima—a 37-year-old mother of two—is redefining what it means to build a business from the ground up. Through the centuries-old craft of garment making, she has not only transformed her own livelihood but has also inspired change across her community.
Fotima’s journey started in 2013 with little more than determination and a hand-operated sewing machine. Resources were scarce, and opportunities to grow her skills were limited. Still, she persevered. Over the years, Fotima gradually built her skills. She sought out training courses to improve her sewing technique, gradually progressing from simple repairs to creating intricate garments like dresses.
Yet her path was far from linear. Like many women in her community, Fotima faced repeated setbacks—pausing and restarting her work several times due to a lack of equipment, access to education, and broader economic constraints. Each interruption tested her resolve but never diminished her ambition.
That changed in 2025, when Central Asia Institute and CAI-Tajikistan launched financial literacy and business planning trainings in Gorno-Badakhshan. Determined to take control of her future, Fotima enrolled.
The impact was immediate and transformative.
Before the training, Fotima often underpriced her work, unaware of how to calculate costs or assign value to her time and skill. After gaining knowledge in financial management and marketing, she began applying practical financial strategies in her daily work. With these tools, she shifted from just surviving to sustainably growing her business.
“The training helped me understand the real value of my work. Now I calculate everything properly before setting prices, and I feel more confident in my business decisions,” Fotima shared.
Equipped with new knowledge and renewed confidence, Fotima expanded her work beyond sewing. She now actively takes orders while also mentoring young women interested in entrepreneurship. By sharing her skills and experience, she is helping cultivate a new generation of artisans and business owners, strengthening her community from within.
Despite still working with limited equipment, Fotima’s impact continues to grow. Today, she operates her own sewing workspace in Khorog’s central bazaar, managing a steady flow of customers and balancing production with mentorship.
Fotima’s story is a powerful reminder that with the right support, even modest interventions can unlock extraordinary potential. Through targeted training and capacity-building programs, women like Fotima are not only improving their businesses. They are also building confidence, independence, and long-term resilience.
In Derzud and beyond, her story is stitching together something larger: a future where opportunity is created, shared, and sustained—one garment at a time.