Meergul Karakozuyeva

For Meergul, who lost her hearing at the age of 12, entrepreneurship made for a promising option for her to make a living. Meergul explained thatshe was initially reluctant to accept that she had a disability. At first she carried on pretending that she could hear, and clinging to false hope for some time, “I thought it would only be a matter of time until I could hear again”. This approach changed over time and nowadays she makes it clear to those she interacts with that she has a hearing impairment and asks them to write their questions on paper.

Meergul discussed how as a college student, she received plenty of support from her teachers and classmates. She earned a college degree in Business Management and Economics which gave her a good background knowledge to become a successful entrepreneur.

Meergul made many attempts to run retail businesses until she discovered her love for hospitality. She received partial financial assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to start her hostel business in Osh. She always looks for opportunities to learn, and in pursuit of her goal to provide quality service to her guests, Meergul attended training organised by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on food safety and hotel management.

Meergul’s work ethic covers both her business and family and supporting her daughter is a strong motivator for her work:

“My daughter motivates me so much. She asks me when we will travel, when we will buy our own house, and so on. This pushes me to provide a high standard of service in my hospitality business to earn more and fulfil my daughter’s wishes.”

Meergul employs people with disabilities in her hostel because she understands how hard it can be for them to secure a job, supporting those who are disadvantaged in society. She shared that lately the public perception of people with disabilities is slowly changing. When she became well-known in her community, people with hearing impairments started coming to her: “Some parents of children with hearing disabilities asked me about my experience in starting a business and for advice on how to get employed. I am proud that my story motivates them and gives them the courage to try.”