In the remote mountain town of Naryn, graduates of the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) at the University of Central Asia (UCA) are transforming ideas into enterprises – and driving change. From leathercraft workshops and family-run guesthouses to social enterprises producing herbal tea, they are not only creating livelihoods for themselves but also generating jobs, preserving cultural traditions and shaping a more sustainable future for their community.

Since its founding in 2006, SPCE has supported more than 260,000 learners across Central Asia to acquire skills in entrepreneurship, business management, IT and vocational fields through its 17 learning centres. Here is how some of them are putting those skills into practice.

Leathercraft that connects generations

Erzhan Tolobek uulu has been passionate about leathercraft since childhood. After graduating from the Chuykov Art College with a specialisation in Decorative and Applied Arts, he began his career at the Ak-Maral leather factory, where he refined his skills and mastered the craft. He later returned to Naryn to establish his own business and share his craft with the community. Together with his parents and younger brother, Erzhan opened a workshop specialising in leather goods, with a particular focus on traditional horse saddles.

Through SPCE’s entrepreneurship course, he gained practical business skills and secured a $5,000 grant, which enabled him to purchase essential tools and equipment. Today, the workshop produces saddles, bags and accessories, many featuring intricate Kyrgyz designs that honour the traditions of the region’s nomadic herders.

“The course helped me turn my art into a brand. I now have a thriving social media presence and customers from all over the country.” For him, leathercraft is about more than products and sales. “Crafts connect us with our past, carry the traditions and values of our ancestors, and keep our identity alive,” he says.

Erzhan is not only preserving a tradition but also creating opportunities for the future. His workshop serves as a place where knowledge is passed from master to apprentice, safeguarding the secrets of craftsmanship and traditional methods of working with leather. Today, the workshop employs locals, including his family members and local craftsmen, while also training young people in traditional skills and contributing to the preservation of Kyrgyz cultural heritage.

More than a stay – a story

The idea of opening a guesthouse came to Aiganysh Taalaibek kyzy during the tourist season of 2018, shortly after her family moved to Naryn. With hotels in short supply, visitors began staying in her home, sparking the vision for a business.

“I had a lot of doubts,” she recalls. “SPCE gave me practical skills in marketing, financial literacy and business planning. It helped me turn a dream into concrete steps.”

What began as a small guesthouse quickly grew into a cultural hub. Today, it is a place where visitors share meals, stories and traditions with local people. “Every detail is about our culture, making it less of a hotel and more of a home where each guest can live a small story,” says Aiganysh.

The guesthouse sources food from local farmers, supports artisans, recommends local excursions and promotes regional initiatives. Sustainability shapes both its daily practices and future vision: eco-houses, creative studios and cultural spaces where visitors can rest and find inspiration.

In recent years, tourism in Naryn has steadily improved, with new cafés, better roads and small services emerging. Aiganysh’s guesthouse has been part of this shift, welcoming visitors and showing how hospitality can connect them to local culture and community. For her, the most exciting change is the revival of culture: “People value handicrafts, food and folklore more. Locals feel inspired to preserve traditions rather than forget them.”

Today, the guesthouse regularly hosts UCA students, faculty and researchers. For Aiganysh, its greatest success lies in the way it brings people together through culture.

Herbal tea with a social mission

At 63, Sharapat Aktanova directs Kadam, a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities in Naryn. Tirelessly advocating for her community, she has built partnerships and secured investments to improve the centre’s services.

One of her most successful initiatives is Arpa Chai, a social enterprise producing natural barley tea for export to Japan and Korea. It all started in October 2021, when representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency trained five members of her organisation to make Mugi Tea, a traditional barley tea. Inspired by its health benefits, she decided to begin production.

Eager to grow Arpa Chai beyond a small local initiative, Sharapat and her team joined the SPCE entrepreneurship course. There, they learned to prepare a business plan, promote their products online and attract financing. In 2024, UCA’s Naryn Sustainable Development Programme provided a grant for new equipment, allowing them to expand production.

Currently, the enterprise employs four parents of children with disabilities and two women with disabilities. In addition, volunteers and other interested people take part. Together, they handle every stage of production from cleaning and roasting to packaging, turning locally grown barley into a source of income.

Made entirely from locally grown barley without chemical additives, the tea is environmentally friendly, vitamin-rich and valued for its digestive benefits. Since 2022, Arpa Chai has been sold in hotels and shops across Naryn and Bishkek. The enterprise has since earned regional and national branding awards and secured financing to expand its production.

Looking ahead, Sharapat and her team hope to create more jobs, especially for people with disabilities, and eventually bring Arpa Chai to international markets.