Youth is actively participating in our community development program
Here's what they say
Ekaterine Gordashvili from village Martkopi, Gardabani district:
‘Everything will never go as planned, but if you do not give up, you will make it! I had a hobby and loved embroidering lovely things, which today is a growing business for me. When I heard about the community development program, offering trainings and potential funding, I was in. It helped me develop from an amateur into an entrepreneur. I have learned how to write and implement business and marketing plans, manage customer relations, and apply embroidering machine programming. I won the competition and got funding and bought the embroidering machine. I had will and loved what I did, but the program gave me the most, unique opportunity to learn and grow.’
You can find lovely work on facebook page called : sanukvari
Vazha Kachkachashvili from village Arali, Adigeni district:
‘I think it is important to create opportunities for youth, which will help them find their place in the society. When involved in the daily life of your community, it is easier to realize what you are good at and what you want to do in life. I started working on enamel at school and it inspired me. What was just a hobby then, today is a growing business for me. Working on enamel always motivated me, but business trainings I had in the community development program, taught me how to create a my own business from what I loved doing. I bought equipment with the program funding and expanded my business. Today I have customers all over Georgia’.
Murad Dzirkvadze from village Imera, Tsalka district:
‘I always had a great desire to serve my community and people. I wanted to respond to their needs, saving their time, money and efforts. I think youth has a great advantage here, we are tough, decisive and well-informed. And if you love what you do and you want to grow, you will be successful. Community development program helped me create and expand my business. I bought necessary equipment. It helped me with marketing my products. Now I use social media to promote my business. Today I offer my customers metal services locally and across Georgia. I love working on all types of metal designing, producing, welding, repairing. I have a delivery and installation services of metal appliances and furniture’.
Community Develoment Initiative farmers
In 2003, we launched our first community development programme, linked to the start of construction work on the BTC/SCP pipelines.
Helping rural development
CDI aims to deepen the positive relationship between bp and communities along the pipeline routes. It supports sustainable forms of social co-operation, improving agricultural production, and developing regional agro-businesses.The total number of communities covered by CDI along pipelines is more than 300.
Implementation by local non-governmental organizations The programme is implemented by two Georgian non-governmental organizations. The engagement of national NGOs has been a deliberate policy, designed to increase local capability.
A model for business development
CDI has attracted considerable interest as a model for community development. We were invited in 2014 to provide advice and share our experience of CDI implementation with the Deputy Minister of Economics, in support of the Ministry’s newly established ‘Entrepreneur Development Agency’ and support programme.
Small business development project brings benefits to local communities
Small business development project celebrated a decade of success and entered a new, fourth phase in 2022. The project is initiated and funded by bp and its co-venturers in Georgian Pipeline Company.
Aiming to deepen positive relationships between bp and people from target villages and settlements of internally displaced persons, the project is promoting economic growth through small and medium-size business development.
The project covers 117 target villages and 4 settlements of internally displaced persons in fifteen municipalities of Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Imereti, Guria and Samegrelo, located along the Baku-Supsa pipeline.
The project will support:
- 123 small entrepreneurs start new business
- 18 existing small entrepreneurs expand business
- Create storage, processing, packaging facilities adding value to the products
- Improve market access and create income generation opportunities
- Develop people’s technical and professional skills through trainings, consultations, and coaching
- Support people launch innovations, improve digital skills and increase productivity, efficiency and sustainability
Raindi Kipiani, the representative of the mayor of Baghdati in Didvela administrative unit said: "People are actively engaged and willing to continue cooperation with the small business development project, because over the years it helped them develop new skills, start new businesses and improve their livelihoods".
Eteri Kvirikashvili, social investment lead for bp in Georgia said: ‘bp has launched small business development project in 2012. Since than I have seen significant personal and economic growth the project has brought to the local communities. I am happy to see people are still actively engaged eager to grab opportunities created by the project.’
The implementation of the 4th phase of the small business development project started this year and will last till the end of January 2026. Center for Training and Consultation CTC has been successfully implementing the project since July 2015.
Some of the project highlights show significant achievements over the decade:
- 857 people funded by the project, created start-ups and scaled-up their business activities
- Program funded businesses created products and services worth of 9,3 million GEL, generated profits worth of 5.3 million GEL and paid more than 42,700 GEL in taxes to the state budget.
- 2650 people received technical and professional trainings supporting them with their business and personal growth.
Small business development project is part of the wider community development initiative CDI. bp and its oil and gas partners initiated CDI in 2003 and over the last 18 years have invested USD 28 million in the local community development.
Between 2018 and 2020, USAID, through the USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia, partnered with bp Georgia