For a 46-year-old village doctor, Nana Kapanadze, baking bread was once just a way to feed her family in the village of Perevi, located in Georgia’s Imereti region, just two kilometers from Russian-occupied territory. But when access to fresh bread became scarce, she began baking for the entire village and turned a personal necessity into a vital community service.
Forced to Leave
During the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Russian troops took control of Perevi and remained there until 2010, though the earlier ceasefire agreement required their withdrawal. For over two years, Perevi was a center of tension—off-limits even to EU monitors. The extended occupation disrupted life and deepened fears among residents. Many left their homeland. According to the most recent nationwide census in 2014, Perevi has a population of 564 people.
“The village began to empty, especially after the war in 2008,” Kapanadze says. “Our forests and pastures have been occupied by Russians, and people can no longer access these areas. Our main source of income was agriculture. Now we can’t even let the cows graze in the pastures—how are we supposed to produce anything? Most people have only one cow or none at all because they are forced to buy hay, which makes keeping livestock expensive.”
“My children, along with many others, left in search of better job opportunities. I can’t blame them.”
A Reason to Stay
Nana Kapanadze didn’t want to leave the village where she had spent most of her life and worked for years as a family doctor. Luckily, three years ago, she got into the EU4Dialogue grant programme, purchased professional baking equipment, and opened a small bakery that quickly became popular among Perevi residents. It now supplies the village with about 200-300 loaves of bread each day.
EU4Dialogue: Support to Conflict Transformation in the South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova is a joint EU and UNDP initiative that supports dialogue, people-to-people contacts, and improved living conditions for vulnerable, conflict-affected communities. Running under the EU4Business umbrella, the project also promotes gender equality and better futures for children and youth in the region. It offers competitive grants for grassroots initiatives and a flexible facility to address urgent needs. The program also builds local civil society capacity through training and knowledge exchange.
Opening the bakery marked the start of bigger achievements for Kapanadze. She and her family now plan to launch a small restaurant offering traditional Georgian Khinkali, fresh bread, and other pastries to visitors.
“I could then employ 7-8 people and create more job opportunities for local residents,” she said. “This could provide a steady income for families. When people have work here, they’re less likely to leave the village. But without income, there isn’t much choice.”
“My wish is to teach others how to bake great bread. The grant support I received is an inspiration for other women. They call me ‘smart’ and want to follow my example”, Nana Kapanadze told us.
