In October, during the tense days of Nagorno Karabakh war, I took my camera and travelled to Ashagi Nuvedi village in Lankaran District, where I met people who continued their lives uninterrupted despite the difficult times, people who deal with daily worries and problems, and sometimes have a little fun to forget all their fatigue even during wars.

Sakhavat Hasanov, who lives in Ashagi Nuvedi, has been fishing in the coastal areas of his village for about 30 years. Ramesh, Rza and Tehran have also been in this business for many years.

When the war broke out, they watched the news from the front every day, were interested in their relatives and fellow villagers who fought, and sometimes they had no choice but to grieve over the bad news that was reported. Despite all this, their life goes on. Early every morning, they go fishing, wishing that their nets were never empty and that a miracle occurred--they catch a goldfish that would make all their dreams come true.

The fourth daughter of a family that wanted a boy, she was named Gizbes, which means "no more girls". But Gizbes has not let her name define her. Today, at the age of 84, she leads an all-female folk music group that is using talent, courage, and perseverance to preserve the native music of Azerbaijan's Lankaran district. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Published with the support of COBERM, a joint initiative of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the organization Chai Khana and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of either the EU or UNDP.