“Thanks to the trainings I attended throughout my secondary school, I acquired skills that have made me more mature and empowered to make my own decisions.”
Bibisharifa Talbizoda

18-year-old Bibisharifa Talbizoda lives in the Navobod village, located in the Jaloliddini Balhi district in Tajikistan. She recently graduated from secondary school and has high hopes to become a professional dressmaker and open her own business.

Bibisharifa discovered a talent for sewing during her school days, when she used to help her mother sew dresses after she finished her homework. However, Bibisharifa didn't just adopt a hobby. She mastered it. Her passion for dressmaking and determination to improve her skills have made her dresses very popular in the neighboring villages.

“With the help of my teacher at school, I participated in a local competition on fundamental economics and won! Thanks to this competition, I had access to other competitions and trainings. My teacher has been always by my side and supported me during these competitions. My next goal is to attend design school.”

Bibisharifa started considering the idea of becoming a professional dressmaker after she attended the training, “Make your own future! Become an entrepreneur!”, which was jointly organized by the State Committee on Investments and State Property Management and the World Bank.

During this training, Bibisharifa was selected as the winner of the best business plan, giving her the opportunity to develop the idea of establishing her own business which she plans to call “Zebanda 2017”. In the meantime, she is already teaching sewing to over twenty people in her community.

This story is part of education shapes futures, a compilation of powerful stories of young people living in GPE partner developing countries on how education had a positive impact on their lives.