I am Bekbaeva Zamzegul Naurizbaevna and I live in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan. The first time I heard of microfinance loans I used to run a small booth near my house selling consumer products. When I learned about the opportunities KMF (the largest microfinance institution in Kazakhstan) offered, I quickly formed a group and applied with them for a small group loan of USD 100. Even though this is already 15 years ago, our group members have stayed together to this day. I used the loan to extend the product offering in my booth. Afterwards, I applied to KMF for a credit at least two times a year, constantly increasing the loan size as my business expanded. My business went well and therefore I decided to relocate to a more frequented area and moved to a mall. Meanwhile, I own ten boutiques spread over the city of Taldykorgan, where I sell school, travel and fashion bags and employ 15 people including my two daughters. My older daughter even runs several boutiques on her own already.
Due to the success of my business, I was able to afford the highest education for my younger daughter, who recently finished university in Almaty and also plans to walk the path of entrepreneurship. I believe, the main reason why I maintained such a long-term relationship with KMF is not only their financial support, but also their non-financial support by providing me with financial education in order to considerably improve my business skills. This served as a foundation for me to grow and maintain a successful business.