KIKUUBE, March 24, 2025 –– The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development [MGLSD] has selected Bunyoro Turihamu Cooperative Society Limited in Kikuube district to benefit from the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises [GROW] project.
The GROW project, implemented by MGLSD in partnership with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda [PSF], aims to support female entrepreneurs in growing their businesses from micro to small and medium enterprises.
Gender Minister Betty Amongi stated that one of the key components of the GROW project is to support businesses that add value to agricultural products and offer common user facilities to enhance productivity.
She noted that cooperatives have shown the capacity to manage such initiatives, and several across the country have been selected for grant support. Bunyoro Turihamu Cooperative Society is among those chosen and will receive Shs 435 million.
Amongi made these remarks during her recent visit to the cooperative’s offices in Kiziranfumbi Town Council, Kikuube district, Bunyoro Subregion, as part of her nationwide tour to assess the readiness of selected cooperatives to utilise the funds.
She explained that the cooperative had applied for support to expand and upgrade its common user facilities, including maize milling, branding, value addition, and certification services.
“Many groups applied for funding, but some lack the capacity or the business knowledge required to use the funds effectively,” she said. “We must build the capacity and change the mindset of beneficiaries to ensure they understand that the money is not a giveaway but a tool to support business growth.”
Amongi also highlighted challenges in disbursing funds in districts lacking banking infrastructure, which complicates access to the grants, especially for women who prefer borrowing models.
She encouraged women to embrace government initiatives such as GROW project, the Parish Development Model [PDM], and Emyooga programme to improve their financial wellbeing. “These projects are designed to uplift women economically. I urge all women to seek information from their local governments and actively apply.”
Samuel Muganzi, Manager of Bunyoro Turihamu Cooperative Society, expressed gratitude to the government for the grant. He said the funds would be used to upgrade their storage facility, acquire modern maize milling equipment, and establish an aflatoxin testing laboratory to improve the quality of their maize flour.
He revealed that while the cooperative had applied for Shs 925 million, they were awarded Shs 435 million. Muganzi also raised concerns over the impact of climate change on farming, noting that many of their farmers depend on rainfall and have been affected by prolonged droughts.
“We urge the government to support us in acquiring irrigation equipment. Unreliable rainfall has severely affected crop yields, particularly maize and beans. With irrigation, we could improve harvests regardless of weather conditions,” he said.
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