Breathing New Life into her Home Village – A Young Entrepreneur’s Journey

Two years ago, Sopho, an enthusiastic and determined young woman, moved from Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, back to her home village of Vazisubani in Kakheti, eastern Georgia. After overcoming numerous challenges, which included defeating a serious illness, she began a new chapter of her life and became a true role model for the local community.

Winning World Vision's Skills and Knowledge for Youth Empowerment Network (SKYE NET) project proved to be a turning point, helping her realise her strengths and potential to stay in the village and support the local inhabitants in need.

As part of the project, and with the mentorship from World Vision Georgia, Sopho founded the social enterprise Kakheti Events in Vazisubani, dedicated to empowering vulnerable families and caring for the elderly and children with disabilities. To date, the enterprise has supported a large number of people, creating new opportunities and fostering an inclusive environment for all, while striving to make charity a shared responsibility.

A MISSION TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE in the community

Living in  the village, Sopho quickly became an active and trusted member of the community. She began volunteering by organising charity activities and hosting free suppers for locals and parishioners after the church liturgy.

Helping others had always been close to Sopho's heart. Over time, however, her vision grew. Sopho dreamed of reaching more people, creating lasting change, and having a wider impact, especially for women in her community.

The young entrepreneur believes that innovative projects like SKYE NET - funded by the European Union - are especially important in rural regions, where opportunities and resources are scarce and many people leave villages due to a lack of prospects.

“In places where life seems to stand still, initiatives like this bring hope, motivation, and a reason to stay. It was a meaningful coincidence that I learned about the innovative project implemented by World Vision Georgia shortly after returning to my village. Through this project, I entered a new stage of my life, developed my skills, and united locals around a shared goal,” she says.

OVERCOMING CANCER AND THRIVING

Many people in Sopho’s village in Kakheti face serious socio-economic challenges, especially elderly people, people with disabilities, and vulnerable families. For Sopho, these issues are deeply personal. She is a former oncology patient who for more than eight years, has been on a long journey of recovery.

After more than 40 chemotherapy sessions and several surgeries, she overcame stage III osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Although her hand is still limited in movement and she lives with a medical implant, Sopho continues to lead an active and dignified life, inspiring others with her strength and resilience.

“I spent so many years in hospitals that, after finally defeating the disease, I could no longer stay in the city. My native village was calling me. I wanted to return home, be part of my community, and support those who need it most.”

STARTING A successful SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

The World Vision project reignited her enthusiasm to establish a social enterprise, Kakheti Events, and gave her the confidence to act. She enjoys working behind the scenes—writing project proposals, developing business strategies, and planning operations.

Yet Sopho's ambition goes far beyond business. The young entrepreneur is determined to support people with disabilities in socialising and to help them feel included in community life. Another key goal is to encourage companies to engage more actively in charity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Sopho learned about the SKYE NET project from a friend and immediately applied without hesitation. Soon she was selected alongside other young people from across Georgia. Following intensive training in social entrepreneurship and business development, her project won the final competition and received funding.

With this support, Sopho launched Kakheti Events. Inspiring others that life continues despite challenges, this multi-directional initiative combines event organisation, CSR activities, and collaboration with companies, while creating employment opportunities for former and current oncology patients.

“Through the project funding, we were able to purchase event decorations and essential inventory. This support was unique, as it combined both knowledge and financial resources, allowing the enterprise to start on a strong foundation. The equipment is reusable and eco-friendly, including furniture, flowers, and decorative items. With these resources and the skills we gained, we began offering a wide range of services, including event management, PR activities, corporate events, and even weddings. Most importantly, a significant portion of our revenue is dedicated to charity and to supporting current oncology patients,” she says.

SKILL-SHARING WITH THE COMMUNITY

Following her success, Sopho brought together local residents who were eager to join and become part of the enterprise. She shared the knowledge gained during the training with 14 community members. Most of them were oncology patients or people with health challenges and many of them had no prior experience in event management, but through training and teamwork, they developed new skills and confidence.

“This kind of work has been truly transformative for us, as the village has come alive. Local residents now feel more empowered and are coming forward with their own ideas—some offering local products and crafts, others preparing traditional sweets and jams. We now know that we can successfully organise any kind of event,” she notes with a smile.

AN Enterprise that Cares and Fosters Inclusion

Kakheti Events has been operating for several months and has already delivered meaningful support to those in need. Through their charity work and in collaboration with local companies such as Pepela, Carrefour, Wishlist, Goodwill and Entrée, they have distributed educational kits, school bags, and food supplies to vulnerable children and families.

The social enterprise continues to grow, actively involving more and more local residents. It has built a strong reputation and was entrusted with decorating the annual Winter Fair in Tbilisi, hosted by the International Women’s Association Georgia.

In addition to decorating the fair, Kakheti Events also presented its own corner, offering traditional Georgian sweets such as churchkhela, pelamushi, dried fruits, and wine—all produced by local families and women. All proceeds from sales were directed towards supporting vulnerable people in the village.

During the event, Kakheti Events corner was also visited by the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński, who sampled the eco-friendly products made by local women and expressed his appreciation for their work.

“We were responsible not only for decorating the space, but also for preparing banners and supporting promotion and media coverage of the event. It was a great responsibility, and we are truly grateful for the organisation’s trust in us,” says Sopho.

empowering local women

Furthermore, during the Christmas and New Year period, the enterprise received a major order to prepare 365 gift boxes for TBC Pay, a local bank's digital payment service, as well as 25 gift boxes for Aversi, a pharmaceutical company.

To manage this task, Sopho involved up to 25 local women in preparing the boxes filled with natural, locally produced sweets. The team successfully completed the order, creating both income and meaningful engagement for the women involved.

To ease the hardships of winter and bring joy to the village, Sopho and her team, in cooperation with local companies, distributed gifts, books, and toys to 119 children and provided essential supplies and clothing to 35 families. Through these efforts, every child felt warmth, care, and support from receiving a toy and educational materials.

Sopho’s journey stands as a powerful example of how enthusiasm, support, and opportunity can transform challenges into lasting social impact—not only for one person, but for an entire community. She looks forward to growing her enterprise and empowering more women.

“Charity and helping others make me happy and give my life meaning. I will consider my mission accomplished when no one in my region goes hungry and every person feels fulfilled and happy. And most importantly, I believe that enthusiasm can move mountains,” Sopho concludes.

The SKYE NET project supports young entrepreneurs in developing innovative ideas and advancing youth social entrepreneurship across Georgia, particularly in regions with limited resources. Through the project, 60 young people received training in social entrepreneurship and business development. Sopho is among the 10 finalists who received funding and essential resources to turn her idea into a social enterprise benefiting her local community.

The project was funded by the European Union under the EU4Youth Programme and implemented by World Vision Georgia in partnership with World Vision Armenia, Millennium Training and Development Institute (Moldova), and IRIS Business Incubator (Armenia).