Gunel’s Journey to a new beginning as a hairdresser

When hundreds of thousands of people had to flee their homes due to the Karabakh War in the early nineties, the tranquillity of Shaplar village in Kalbajar district was shattered too, leaving Gunel’s family, their home, gardens, livestock, and all they owned, swept away. The family found temporary shelter at the “ECO” camp in Yevlakh district which was established by the local authorities in 1993 with the support of the international community.

"I was one year old when my family came to the “ECO” camp where I started and completed my full secondary education. Becoming a hairdresser was my childhood dream. In the upper grades, I even tried to gain experience by offering beauty services to my relatives and neighbours," said Gunel.

"I was going to enrol in a vocational school to become a hairdresser, but it didn't work out due to the challenges of commuting to the city of Yevlakh,” she added.  

At the age of 18, Gunel was married and became a mother of two girls within a couple of years. In 2010, their lives shifted when the camp was moved to the “32nd Quarter settlement” in Yevlakh city, and the family relocated.

Starting over in a new place, Gunel began providing beauty services to acquaintances in the settlement. Despite all her efforts, her lack of advanced skills and working from home led her clients to opt for services provided by established beauty salons.

During this period, tragedy struck Gunel’s family as her husband passed away, leaving her alone to manage the household responsibilities and provide care for her children, with no income and only the small allowances that internally displaced families were entitled to. Gunel had enrolled in a six-month-long hairdressing course provided by an NGO in the settlement but was forced to give up due to the hardships she was facing during that period.

The turning point arrived in early 2023 with the launch of the “IDP Community Mobilization and Capacity Development” project in the settlement where she lives. Upon learning about a vocational course offered by the project, Gunel immediately applied. The project is funded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and implemented by the Azerbaijani NGO “Umid” Support to Social Development Public Union.

Selected among numerous applicants due to her passion, skills, and experience, Gunel embarked on a two-month intensive apprenticeship course in ladies' hairdressing where she attended theoretical and practical courses with her mentor and completed training sessions on “Business Plan Preparation” and “Introduction to Entrepreneurship”.

Simultaneously, Gunel expanded her expertise by actively participating in round tables and training sessions of the Community Development Council, of which she became a member.

“All my life I have looked for opportunities to acquire the skills to master this trade. In this project, I got that opportunity and started making my dreams come true,” said Gunel.

As Gunel’s skills in hairdressing improved, and the training courses provided her with renewed self-esteem, skills, and hope, her vision of opening her own ladies’ beauty salon crystallized, an aspiration she hadn’t imagined pursuing alone before. Determined, she started searching for locations for a new hairdressing salon and secured a bank loan to procure equipment and establish her workspace.

With the successful completion of her apprenticeship course, Gunel obtained a certificate, transforming her dream of a fully functional beauty salon into a reality. Hiring two employees, she started to introduce salon services to the residents of Yevlakh district. Through entrepreneurship skills learned during the courses, Gunel was able to expand her outreach and advance customer satisfaction together with her new team.

Gunel shared her hopes of one day returning to Kalbajar. “Our dreams have become reality! Kalbajar is home again! My family and I aspire to return and establish a larger branch of my salon there. I am immensely grateful to the “Umid” organization, the reason for all my achievements, and to the UN Refugee Agency for their invaluable financial support. Their assistance helped me realize my dream and opened the door to a new world for me.”

Prepared by:

Elsevar Aghayev, Senior External Relations Associate, UNHCR Azerbaijan

Aynur Taghiyeva, Information Manager, "Umid" Support to Social Development Public Union