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Founder

Teresa Hamlin

Teresa came to Azerbaijan as an English teacher and fell in love with the people, the culture and the traditions of Azerbaijan. As friends and tourists came to visit, they expressed an interest in buying local socks. However, finding socks available for sale was not easy because they were mostly given as part of a bride’s dowry. The socks also tended to be scratchy and uncomfortable because the women didn’t have access to quality yarn. Teresa experimented with buying yarn in the city and employing women in rural areas to knit traditional socks. This worked wonderfully. She gave a few of these socks as gifts to people back home in Minnesota. Their enthusiasm for the socks proved that they would be a loved product. Thus, Azerbaijani Socks was born!

 

Working Together

"None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." - Mother Teresa

Meet the Office Team:

Our office team is dedicated to serving both our knitters and our customers

 

 Office Manager: 

   Firuze

Firuze is smart, spunky, organized and does it all: sales, managing the office, online communications, interfacing with the women who knit and sew suede, tagging and measuring products... she's amazing, and we're thankful to have her on our team.

Wholesales Account Manager:

Summer

Originally from California, Summer came to Azerbaijan in 2021. Summer has a passion for loving and helping women around the world.  She is happy to be part of a team that does this well.

She's here to help make it easier for you to sell our products in the USA or other places around the globe!

Accountant:

Salima

Salima is dedicated and knowledgable. She helps keep us all in order and our business running smoothly. She lives in the small northern town of Sheki. She loves that she can do this job from her home, while she takes care of her young daughter. 

 

 

Meet the delegates: A team of women leaders

Delegates help bridge the gap between the Azerbaijani Socks’ office and the women who knit in the villages. Delegates travel to meet with the knitters regularly. They bring them yarn, check the quality of the work, collect and pay for the socks, then bring the socks to the office where they are tagged and sold. Azerbaijani Socks wants more than just a business transaction with our knitters, we want to invest in their lives, to love and value them. Delegates help us accomplish this goal of loving our knitters well. 

Nargila

 Guba, Shabran, Gusar (mid-Northern region)
Nargila has never married and does not have children of her own, however, she is a mother to many. She has dedicated her life to helping others. She has cared for children in an orphanage, women in safe-houses, and is always looking for ways to love and serve those around her. 

Gulay

 Masalli (Mid-Southern region)
Gulay is the mother of two children. Her older daughter is attending dentistry school in Baku and her younger son is still in middle school. Gulay's husband is a taxi driver, and often drives her to the knitters who are under her care. Gulay has a gentle spirit, and cares for others well.

Fatima

 Lankaran and Astara (Southern region)
Fatima is a very passionate woman. She loves learning and is always looking for opportunities to better herself through greater understanding. She is the mother of two young children. She teaches beginning level English to young students. And she is everyone's friend. 

Irada

 Zaqatala and Qax (North-Western region)
Irada loves her Ingiloi heritage, a minority people group in Azerbaijan. She is dedicated to helping the Ingiloi people, which is why she is happy to partner with AZ Socks to provide work work women in her home area. She is also dedicated to helping preserve the heritage and language of her people, so she is involved in literature development and translation in Ingiloi language. 

Roza

 Ismayilli & Qebele (North-Western region)
Roza is a woman of many talents. She is a gifted orator and singer. She is the author of poetry and music. She is a leader within her Lezgi community. Lezgi is a minority people group in Azerbaijan. She hosts a radio program, bringing words of encouragement to her people. She loves connecting with Lezgi women through AZ Socks. 

Mensure

 Ismayilli and Gusar (Northern region)
Mensure is everyone's grandmother. She is warm and welcoming and filled with love to share. She is also extremely industrious. She plants a large garden, cans and preserves hundreds of containers of fruits and vegetables each year, and always sharing the bounty of her garden with others. 

Elnara

 Gusar (North-East Region)
Elnara is a sweet person, with a gentle, reserved spirit. She serves others with compassion and dignity and is quick to help those in need. As an immigrant from a minority people group in the Caucasus mountains, her first language is Russian. 

Aygul

 Gusar (North-East Region)

Aygul has been with Azerbaijani Socks from the beginning. She has a heart to help women through business, and has been a good partner for Teresa. Aygul is the mother of two boys, who keeps her busy. She and her husband are building a home in Gusar. 

Rubaba

 Gusar (North-East Region)
Rubaba is a hard working woman. Despite some physical limitations, she leads a very full life. She interacts with many women through AZ Socks, and is happy to host people in her home. She has two grown children and one grandson.  

Elmira

 Shamaxi (North- Central area)
Elmira is a single mom with two daughters. She has a bubbly personality and is fabulous at making new friends. She loves village life, and finds great joy in working with the women in Shamaxi region.