Bakhtiyor Kenjaev, an owner of a small business from Uzbekistan, refurbished a 16th century caravanserai and established the Bukhara Traditional Carpet Weaving Center during the COVID-19 pandemic – making the most of the tourism downturn to be ready when tourists return.

Dilbar Ruziyeva lives in Markaz Mahalla in Angor district, located in the southernmost part of Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region with her husband and their daughter who has a physical disability. Dilbar married at the young age of 19 after which she didn’t pursue her studies. Without a university degree and with a special needs child, Dilbar has struggled to find employment. Her husband used to provide for their family. But once the pandemic hit, he, like millions of low-wage earners, got laid-off. For the first six months of the pandemic, the family lived off what they could grow in their garden. In July, Dilbar successfully completed sewing classes offered free of charge by Ayol va Shodlik Center, a non-governmental organization in Angor district. She now has the skills to earn a steady income and financially support her family.