Community Connections Alumna Opens Trade School in Baku
Kubra Aliyeva, an entrepreneur and arts scholar, opened a vocational school and architecture, design and handicrafts business in Baku, Azerbaijan after returning home from a USAID Community Connections Handicraft Production and Marketing Exchange trip.
In establishing Kubra Handicraft and Design LLC, Aliyeva not only incorporated the knowledge of starting a private business and strategic planning that she gained during the exchange, but also drew upon the skills of her fellow alumni in the true spirit of the Community Connections program. Zemfira Allahverdova, an alumna of the same exchange in which Aliyeva participated, will teach courses on weaving and needlepoint at the vocational school.
The school will offer courses on sewing, carpet-weaving, architecture, jewelry making, and ceramics, in addition to six other trades. Upon completion of their studies, students will receive certificates and be offered the opportunity to work in Aliyeva’s architecture, design, and handicraft workshops.
Aliyeva notes, “The idea behind opening Kubra Handicraft and Design LLC is to prepare skilled craftspeople to produce handicraft products and souvenirs for the market.”
In the future, she plans to expand her business beyond the capital city with regional branches to support handicrafts and artisans in more rural areas.
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| Kubra Aliyeva, a USAID Community Connections Handicraft Production and Marketing exchange participant, exhibits Azerbaijani carpet in Kansas City |
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