From Beekeeping to Entrepreneurship: How Mentorship Drives Growth

The story of Dinara Azarbaeva from Issyk-Kul oblast shows how UNDP’s Mentorship Programme helps women in the regions start and expand businesses while redefining their role in society.

September 2, 2025

Dinara and Sultan checking the beehives at the apiary

UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic

A teacher by education, Dinara practiced beekeeping as part of her household routine. This changed when she joined the programme and became a mentee of experienced beekeeper and head of the Beekeepers’ Association, Sultanbek Abbasov.

“Mentorship helped me see how to turn a hobby into a sustainable business. I gained confidence and started working differently,” says Dinara.

With her mentor’s guidance, she mastered new technologies, including breeding Carniolan bees and producing queen bees for sale. This opened a new line of business and expanded her market beyond her village.

Training, constant communication with the mentor and daily support allowed her to build production processes, launch the first sales outside the village and begin scaling.

“Now I am not just a beekeeper’s wife. I am an entrepreneur who knows how to grow further,” Dinara notes.

Dinara Azarbaeva from Issyk-Kul oblast

UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic

"I wanted to show that entrepreneurship is a path open to everyone. The main thing is to take the first step," says Sultanbek Abbasov, a mentor.

Her mentor, Sultanbek, emphasizes that entrepreneurship is accessible to all: “My role is not only to share knowledge but also to create opportunities for women and youth to participate in the economy and contribute to local development.”

Through training, mentoring, grants and networking, the programme has supported 60 entrepreneurs across Kyrgyzstan, leading to 15 new businesses and 56 jobs, 45 of them taken up by women and persons with disabilities.

Supporting women’s entrepreneurship remains a key priority for UNDP in Kyrgyzstan. The programme advances the National Development Strategy 2030, stimulates local economies, and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting inclusive and sustainable business practices.