Mirvari Azizova, a resident of Hanifa village in Balakan District, is an “ABAD” craftsman. She was among the first citizens to apply when the Balakan Regional ABAD Center began its operations.

“I am a graduate of a cooperative technical school, but from a young age, my interest has been in sewing and knitting. After completing my education, I pursued exactly this work. I took orders for knitting clothes and socks and sewing garments. My greatest desire, however, was to learn carpet weaving,” she said.

When Mirvari Azizova applied to “ABAD,” she expressed this ambition, and she was informed about the joint project by “ABAD,” UNDP, and the European Union:

“They invited me to training sessions for carpet weaving. I joined the trainings with pleasure and learned how to weave carpets. In addition, I participated in numerous trainings related to entrepreneurship,” she shared.

As part of the project’s second phase, Mirvari Azizova worked on carpet weaving alongside a group of other participants:

“Due to the special quarantine regime introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, our group was disbanded. Since then, I have been working individually. In the future, I would like to open a sewing, knitting, and carpet weaving workshop. I want to gather skilled women around me. There are many talented housewives in my community, and I would love to help them secure an income.”