Location
Pamir region, TAJIKISTAN
Grantee
Tatiana Nushtaeva
Project
Bike Repair Station on the Pamir Highway
Tatiana Nushtaeva
Tatiana Nushtaeva has spent her life among the mountains, roads, and small communities of Tajikistan’s Pamir region, where cyclists pass through on one of the world’s most demanding high-altitude routes. She noticed two gaps going unaddressed: travelers arriving exhausted with broken gear and no safe place nearby to repair it, and local women with few opportunities to take part in the tourism economy growing around them. Her response was to place a fully equipped bike repair station inside a women-led hostel, giving stranded cyclists a place to find support and giving local women a new role and source of income. Tatiana now plans to keep the station running through each tourist season, promote it on cyclist maps and platforms, and share the model with women in neighboring villages so that more women-led stops can open along the route.
What the seed grant made possible
12
people directly supported during the grant period
4
local women trained to manage the station and assist cyclists
8
cyclists who received tools and hands-on repair support
1
fully equipped repair station installed in a women-led hostel
The project
- The grant funded a repair stand, full tool kit, floor pump, spare parts and tires, a first aid kit, and laminated maps and signage to mark the station for passing travelers.
- Funds delivered in November 2025 covered sourcing the equipment, transporting it across difficult mountain roads, and installing it on site at the hostel.
- The station gives cyclists on the Pamir Highway a safe, welcoming place to fix their bikes and connect with the local community instead of facing breakdowns alone on the road.
- Local women now run the station and assist cyclists directly, adding a service that increases their visibility and income within the hostel’s operations.
Tatiana Nushtaeva is helping cyclists stay safe and local women gain a foothold in tourism along Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway. With TPP support, she installed a fully equipped bike repair station inside a women-led hostel, where four local women were trained to manage the station and assist travelers, and eight cyclists received hands-on support during the grant period. Bringing cyclist safety and women’s economic participation together in one practical service, the station is set to stay stocked through each tourist season, with plans to share the model with women in neighboring villages along the route.