Every morning in the village of Mehrbakhsh, the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air. Inside a small clay-brick bakery, Dilafruz, a mother of six, works beside her husband and a few women from her neighborhood. The ovens are hot, the laughter is loud, and trays of golden bread are stacked high. This is a sight that was once unimaginable for her family.
Just a few years ago, life was very different. Her husband, who had worked in Russia to support the family, was deported and could not find a stable job after returning home. The family relied on small vegetable farming and occasional daily labor, but it was never enough. “There were days when I didn’t know how I would feed my children,” Dilafruz recalled.
Through the support of Good Neighbors Tajikistan, women in the Community Development Project (CDP) in Vahdat were able to start small businesses and earn their own income through an income generation program. One of them was Dilafruz.
With her husband’s support, Dilafruz attended financial literacy, entrepreneurship sessions, and consultations and took her first small loan of 800 TJS (about 80 USD). Although she first thought of buying a dairy cow, she noticed that bread was always in demand in her village. And so, her baking journey began.
Dilafruz and her husband bought flour, firewood, and basic tools using their first loan. They started baking bread at home and selling it to their neighbors. When she successfully repaid her loan, she applied for a second one of 20,000 TJS (about 2,000 USD) to buy more ovens and grow the business.
Today, Dilafruz’s bread is famous across the district. Her bakery now has four ovens, and customers even come from the capital, Dushanbe, to buy her bread for weddings and special events.
What started as a small family business has now become a source of strength for many. Dilafruz employs three to four neighboring women, most of them housewives who previously had no income. She pays them 40–50 USD per month, helping them become financially independent and confident.
Hiring other women like me is the best part of my business. We support each other and our children. Also, my husband used to feel hopeless but now, he helps me bake and deliver bread. We built this together.
Recently, Dilafruz hosted an exchange visit for women in her village who wanted to learn about her business. She proudly showed them her ovens, shared her story, and encouraged them to believe in themselves.
“My greatest happiness is being able to feed my children well and send them to school,” says Dilafruz. “Thanks to Good Neighbors, I found the courage to start. Now, I’m helping others do the same.”
As she looks ahead, Dilafruz dreams of expanding her bakery and hiring more women.
Through Good Neighbors’ Income Generation program, over 500 women from rural and remote areas have started small businesses and increased their family income by up to 10%.
Women are now earning through baking, livestock raising, tailoring, farming, and home-based enterprises. More than 250 women across three CDPs received financial literacy and entrepreneurship training, helping them manage money and plan their businesses better.
As incomes grow, families are eating better, accessing healthcare, and keeping their children in school. Communities that once struggled with food insecurity are now building resilience and hope. Women like Dilafruz have become role models, showing others what is possible when given a chance.
Good Neighbors Tajikistan continues to empower women like Dilafruz through entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and small business support programs, helping families build better futures and stronger communities.
Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
For further information, please contact Good Neighbors Global Partnership Center.
Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
To make your donation process easier,
We’ll guide you to the Good Neighbors donation site for your region.
