November 28, 2025

How Keti Tsilosani turned her story into a movement for equality

“I was only 15 when I got married. My studies stopped, my dreams were put on hold, and opportunities disappeared,” recalled Keti Tsilosani, who grew up in the city of Lanchkhuti, about 300km west of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. “But deep down, I always knew that life could not be confined within the walls of a home.”

In 2018, Keti Tsilosani joined a UN Women and Taso Foundation project on women’s economic empowerment, which became the turning point of her life. “At the interview, surrounded by successful women, I simply said: ‘I am a mother of two children and a housewife.’ Somehow, that honesty became the start of real change,” she recalled.

In 2020, Tsilosani opened Ketostan Cafe – the first youth-friendly cultural hub in Lanchkhuti. What began as a small social enterprise soon grew into a vibrant space of learning, creativity and solidarity.

“We hosted poetry evenings, film screenings, trainings and music events. It became a place where young people and women could learn, dream and grow together,” she said. The cafe employed up to 10 people, including two persons with disabilities, and offered many local youth their first jobs.

Under Tsilosanis’ leadership, Ketostan became a symbol of community revival – accessible to all and rooted in local culture. It has also become a safe and trusted space for women and girls to meet, learn and find their voice.

“We held so many important events – trainings and discussions on violence prevention, gender equality, women’s rights, and leadership,” Tsilosani recalled. “These meetings were not just theoretical. They gave women practical skills, strengthened their self-esteem, and helped them believe that they could and should defend their rights.”

One initiative, ‘Voices Against Violence’, led by UN Women within the EU 4 Gender Equality programme, funded by the European Union, left a lasting mark on the community.

“At first, the girls were quiet and reserved,” Tsilosani said. “But after a few meetings, they began to speak up – even about harassment they had endured for years. In time, they not only shared their stories but also took action, demanding accountability.”

Their courage brought real change: after several testimonies, local authorities investigated the reports, and one teacher accused of sexual harassment was imprisoned.

“It was a difficult journey, but also a powerful reminder,” Tsilosani said. “When women and girls have a safe space and support, they can transform not only their lives, but the entire community.”

In 2023, Ketostan Cafe was forced to close after the building owner refused to renew the lease. Refusing to give up, Keti Tsilosani and her friends launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised enough money to buy two buses at auction – one turned into a cafe, the other into a mobile cultural space equipped with chairs, a projector and a small library. This is how the Mobile Coffee Bus was born – bringing coffee, conversations and community spirit to remote villages across the Guria region.

Through diverse initiatives, including ‘Youth4Social Change’, run in cooperation with UNFPA under the EU 4 Gender Equality programme, Tsilosani continues to challenge the deeply rooted stereotypes of rural Georgia. “People still say that a woman should stay at home or cannot be a leader. But in my cafe, in trainings, and now on the bus, we show every day that women can lead, create and transform communities,” she said.

Georgia