LocationsFrom family tradition to modern entrepreneurship
September 5, 2025
Zhibergul Akunova
Zhibergul Akunova was born into a family of craftswomen - her mother was a skilled needlewoman and instilled in her daughter a love for handicrafts. In 1991-1993, Zhibergul studied at the S. Chokmorov vocational school in the specialty of working with wood and leather, graduating with honors.
Zhibergul met her future husband at the educational institution. Their union became not only personal happiness, but also a creative partnership. In the Issyk-Kul region, Jeti-Oguz district, they raised children, passing on to them a love for the craft - the children were also trained to work with wood and leather.
Under the leadership of Zhibergul, the Muras group was formed - a team of seven people: five women and two male craftsmen. The name "Muras" means "heritage", which reflects their mission to preserve traditional crafts.
The craftsmen create felt and leather products: rugs, seat cushions, decorative panels with national ornaments, keychains and various accessories. Each product is of high quality and combines traditional motifs with modern needs.
The turning point was participation in the UNDP "Aid for Trade" project. The programme opened up new horizons: the craftswomen mastered modern production standards, improved the quality of their work and expanded their range. Educational trips to Osh and Chon-Alai allowed them to establish contacts with fellow craftswomen and provided the participants with a stable income.
Zhibergul is full of ambitious plans. She sees the development of the Muras group as a multi-level process. Now she is working on scaling up production by attracting new craftswomen, creating a mentoring programme for novice craftswomen, which will allow the transfer of traditional knowledge along with the use of innovations to improve traditional techniques.
"Development is a continuous process. It is important to constantly learn and strive for excellence in your business. If you have a sincere desire and willingness to work efficiently, you can create not only beautiful products, but also build a decent future for yourself and your family. Development programmes like the UNDP project are bridges to new opportunities. They provide not only knowledge, but also faith in your own strengths,”says Zhibergul.
Traditional crafts in modern business
UNDP has created a powerful platform for the development of handicrafts in Kyrgyzstan. The initiative unites 4 small and medium-sized businesses, 7 handicraft groups, covering more than 40 artisans and 2 handicraft associations.
UNDP makes a significant contribution to women's entrepreneurship through support for handicrafts. UNDP creates jobs for women, many of whom previously did not have a stable income.
Craft groups become catalysts for local economic development, preserving traditional skills and adapting them to modern market requirements. 28 artisans went on study tours, exploring the possibilities of integrating their products into tourism and export. Participants mastered modern tools for product promotion, including e-commerce and digital marketing skills, as well as the basics of entrepreneurship, pricing and financial literacy.
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