Greg - Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a very isolated and the small economy is not able to support large manufacturing enterprises. As a result, there are a limited number of good jobs to be had and many people have turned to entrepreneurial pursuits in an effort to improve their standard of living. The micro-business sector does not, however, receive much support from the formal banking system. And while there is a growing number of small microfinance NGOs in the country that seek to serve this market, they are hampered by limited access to capital and the strict regulatory regime of the national authorities. The bank that I work at helps to fill this gap by acting as a bridge for up and coming entrepreneurs who need loans but who are not being served by the mainstream financial sector.

The other major component of our mandate is to rebuild public confidence in the banking sector. Many Tajiks lost what little savings they had during the Russian banking crisis of 1998 and Tajikistan now has one of the lowest formal saving rates in the world, which hampers investment and slows growth. But convincing average citizens that the banking system is stable and that they will benefit by participating in it is proving to be an uphill battle.

My biggest hope for the country is that the government and the people come to recognize that they have an incredibly valuable resource in the towering mountains that grace this country. It is an alpinist’s heaven with a collection on the world’s highest peaks, many of which have only been bested by Soviet-era climbers – but the tourism industry remains in its infancy. The first step is for more people outside the region to actually learn that the country even exists.

Greg’s Update

My AKFC internship with the First MicroFinanceBank in Tajikistan was the launching pad for my career in microfinance. I have been extremely fortunate, as that first experience has led me to the headquarters of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance in Geneva, where I am currently the officer responsible for communications, external relations and product development. The knowledge and experience that I gained during my internship had an enormous impact on my employability and career prospects in both the microfinance field and the broader development sector. During my internship, I was engaged in specific, discrete projects as well as management of daily operations and all the associated responsibilities.

Cross cultural management, communication and problem solving were some of the key skills that I developed during my two years abroad. In order for me to be effective, I had to quickly learn how the Soviet experience had shaped attitudes and approaches to work and information sharing – all of which are radically different from those in the West. These experiences have had a lasting impression on my own approach to managing people and processes, one which will stay with me for the rest of my career.

A game of Buzhkashi in early winter. Buzhkashi is the traditional sport throughout much of Central Asia including Tajikistan. It is vaguely reminiscent of polo but a dead sheep is substituted for the ball.

The Buzhkashi players are fantastic horsemen who travel throughout the country to compete during much of the fall and winter.

In the FMFB bank hall with one of our female loan officers and her clients. Women make up nearly 40% of the bank’s clientele though this varies significantly between rural and urban areas.

The Laylakul pass separates two major valleys in the Fan mountain range in central Tajikistan.

The mountains of Tajikistan are fantastic for climbing and mountaineering and there is significant potential for adventure tourism in the area. This shot from 3000m shows the impact of the early spring melt.

These women, a mother and her four daughters, are part of a seven strong family who spend their spring and summers with their flocks of sheep up in the mountains, far away from the nearest village.

The Pamir mountains; view from the helicopter enroute from the capital to the mountain city of Khorog.

These three men were sitting a chatting on side of a road running through a small village as I was travelling across the country. I was on the same road some a year later the exact same three men were sitting in the same spot – time moves slowly in the mountain villages.