Shamshiyeva Aisalkyn is a jack-of-all-trades. She and her husband, Raimjan, own a herd of cattle and three hectares of land in Papan, Osh oblast, where they grow apples, pears and grass hay and tend to a small herd of cattle.

Aisalkyn’s is a story that highlights the good that can come out of solid financial planning, good business sense and cooperation.

 

In 2007, when the Kompanion’s Papan branch opened, Aisalkyn’s family was one of the first in Papan to take out loans. Since then they have borrowed nine times--and each loan has allowed the family to increase their profits.

Thanks to solid planning, Shamshiyeva and her family were able to buy a family car and a truck for the business, which have allowed them to earn up to 100,000 som per season working their land. With their new truck they have also started to transport other families’ harvests and cattle to markets in Osh for a small profit.  

 

With the earnings from their crops Aisalkyn and her family were also able to purchase a parcel of land and were able to build a fence around the three hectares of their leased land. This year they also planted 1,500poplar trees, which, in 10 to 15 years will be cut down and sold for wood.

 

“We have seen a 50% increase in income since we started taking loans from Kompanion,” said Shamshiyeva. “Now we have eight cows. And during last year’s season we made a profit of 100,000 som.”

The importance of financial planning

The loan process wasn’t always easy for Shamshiyeva--she had to learn from her small mistakes.

“I had difficulty paying my first loan back to Kompanion because of low turnover,” she said. “But now we are able to pay back our loans very easily.”

 

Since taking loans, the entire family has prospered. Shamshiyeva’s sons and one daughter have gone to university in Osh, and her sons are now building houses for their families.

After all of her success, Shamshiyeva is now working for social security in the village of Papan. “I help people to plan their businesses and advise them on gardening and cattle-breeding.”

 

The key, she says, is to “Use the loans for business. Don’t eat the money.”

In the future Shamshiyeva hopes to build houses for each of her children. She wants them to have cattle and gardens so that they have everything that they need in life.

“We’re proud of our children and our progress. We want to thank Kompanion,” said Shamshiyeva.

“It makes us happy to prosper in this land where we were born--our motherland.”