KIRUHURA – The women entrepreneurs benefiting from the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP] are to receive more funds from the World Bank to run mega projects.
According to the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Betty Amongi, who was days ago in Kiruhura district, ahead of tomorrow’s International Women’s Day [IWD 2023] celebrations, the project dubbed ‘Growth’ enabled by the World Bank’s International Development Agency [IDA] is to provide US$ 217 million [about shs 803 billion].
“I have informed the women that on 8th March, His Excellency the president will launch a very important flagship programme under the Ministry of Gender. This is a World Bank grant of $217 million (about Shs 803 bln] that is supposed to support financing for women projects,” Amongi explained.
She said the five-year World Bank financing grant will target existing women projects that are ready to transit from micro to big businesses.
“We are looking at projects that exist and transiting from micro to small-medium and macro economies of scale and this is the program that I am interested in every group benefiting from the programme,” Amongi said.
Minister Amongi was impressed with the resilient women in Kiruhura district for investing in projects like goat rearing, bull fattening, savings, yoghurt making among others.
Further, the State Minister for Gender and Culture, Peace Regis Mutuuzo also confirmed that the World Bank is going to give women about Shs 988 bln annually.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Kengaju, chairperson women’s council Bunyangabo district, appreciated World Bank’s funding saying that the money will cater for more women groups that were registered.
“We really embrace and we can’t wait to receive that funding because the only project we’ve been having is UWEP but compared to the numbers it has really not reached every woman”. Kengaju said
Enid Mwesigye, chairperson Kiruhura district women’s council said women also received institutional financial support to enhance their businesses.
“Now that there is money coming to support women, I urge them to form groups and cooperatives because they will not be helped when they are not united to support each other,” Mwesigye said.
Since 2014, over 1000 groups of women in Kiruhura district have benefited from UWEP.
Mwesigye says most of the women’s projects in Kiruhura have been affected by the dry season, thus urging the government to provide alternative water sources in the district to avert farm losses.
Mercy Betty Tendo, chairperson women’s council Ntoroko district said UWEP has registered many successes and a total of 89 women groups mostly dealing in fish and cattle keeping have so far benefited at a loan recovery rate of 69 percent.
Welcoming the World Bank funding, Tendo said that she would mobilise all the women in the district to benefit.
“Right away from here I am going to pass this news to women in Ntoroko and even after the launch on 8th March, I will still mobilise them and take advantage of the new programme,” Tendo said.
There are many success stories from the UWEP where women are engaged in production activities like baking, soap making, and wine making among others to boost their household income.
Tomorrow Uganda will join the rest of the world to celebrate IWD 2023 at Kaaro High School Playground in Kenshunga Sub-county Kiruhura district under the theme, “The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
The theme for IWD 2023 is aligned to the theme of the 67th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, namely, “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”.
President Museveni is expected to be the chief guest and will decorate the most successful women in the country, commission the Science and Technology Women Institution in Kiruhura district, and also launch a “Growth Project” meant to support women groups in the county for the next five years.
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