Nino Gigauri, an elementary school teacher living in Gori, Eastern Georgia, has always felt a deep connection to nature. A passionate painter and lover of all things handmade, she finds joy in creativity and self-expression. Her curiosity and drive to explore new opportunities eventually led her down an unexpected path—starting her own lavender plantation.
“It was a way for me to do what I love and express myself through art,” Gigauri remembers.
Planting the Seed
She found out that lavender is a widely used product, but essential oils are produced here in limited quantities and are mostly imported. Gigauri got support from the EU4Dialogue grant programme, planted 300 lavender bushes, and started to produce ecologically clean candles and soaps from essential oils. She then sells the products online.
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. The project was completed in May 2025 under the EU4Business umbrella. It promoted gender equality and better futures for children and youth in the region.
The project offered competitive grants for grassroots initiatives and a flexible facility to address urgent needs. It built local civil society capacity in the region through training and knowledge exchange. For Nino Gigauri, the training component was just as valuable as the financial support. Through the program, she connected with many women entrepreneurs, exchanging experiences and best practices.
“The mindfulness trainings had a profound impact on my self-belief and confidence,” she said. “I feel so motivated—nothing can stop me now.”
Dreaming Big
The village of Lamiskana, where Gigauri’s Lavender plantation is located, and the surrounding settlements are the southernmost villages in the Kaspi district. They border the village of Akhmaji, which has been under Russian occupation since the war in 2008.
Lamiskana is a historic village. In 1913, Ivane Javakhishvili, one of Georgia’s most prominent historians and scholars, discovered the oldest surviving manuscript of The Life of Kartli (“Kartlis Tskhovreba”) in the library of the Jambakur-Orbeliani Palace in Lamiskana. The Palace creates tourism opportunities for locals, such as Nino Gigauri.
She plans to make full use of her one-hectare plot by expanding the lavender plantation. She also dreams of building a small eco-friendly wooden cottage, where she can host candle-making masterclasses.
“My goal is to establish a memorable, unique, and affordable brand,” Gigauri shared.
Nino Gigauri is just one of the entrepreneurs financed. In 2024 alone, EU4Business supported 40,801 small and medium enterprises in Georgia. To learn more about how EU4Business is helping entrepreneurs, you can visit the website.
