Nusaf III beneficiaries train in business management

Enterprise Uganda executive director Charles Ocici (left) addresses participants in Mbale recently. Right is NUSAF coordinator Robert Limlim. PHOTO BY JONATHAN ADENGO

What you need to know:

  • Purpose. The training seeks to give beneficiaries a business mindset to run profitable enterprises.

Mbale. Government has started training beneficiaries of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF III) project in business management skills to enable run sustainable income generating projects to eradicate poverty.
The first training conducted by Enterprise Uganda on behalf of Nusaf took place in Mbale recently and more than 1,500 beneficiaries from 11 districts of Mbale, Kapchorwa, Kumi, Bukedea, Soroti, Kweni and Bukwo among others, were skilled to start their own enterprises.
Among the key aspects covered were the essential steps for starting and operating a successful enterprise including proper record keeping, customer attraction and retention, teamwork and ploughing back profits in the business to facilitate growth, among others.
The training, to be replicated in other 55 districts in northern and eastern Uganda, seeks to bridge the mismatch between receiving government support in form of livestock, seedlings and cash to run them as businesses and ensure sustainable income generation to eradicate household poverty.
Speaking at the closure of the five-day training in Mbale, Enterprise Uganda executive director Charles Ocici said the training seeks to give beneficiaries a business mindset to run profitable enterprises, which can be scaled into bigger businesses.
“It is one thing to give someone a cow and it is another thing to make them realise that they can make a business out of that one animal,” he said.
Mr Ocici urged participants to desist bad influence and negative people who will always want to pull them down.
Additionally, he cautioned them against getting money from the business to solve other people’s problems.
“People should never pull you down. You must develop a rough skin to withstand public opinion, accept criticism both negative and positive, laughter and abuse if you want to move from grass to glory,” Ocici told the participants.
NUSAF coordinator Robert Limlim said the project seeks to empower people in the districts affected by the civil war to enable them start income generating projects to support their livelihoods.
To effectively harness the benefits, Dr Limlim said Nusaf partnered with Enterprise Uganda to build the capacity of the beneficiaries and to inculcate a business mindset to enable people run sustainable income generating projects.

Nusaf I and II
Nusaf III builds on the successes of Nusaf I and II that saw the reconstruction of the infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools and health facilities in the districts that were affected by the civil war.
“As we implemented Nusaf I and II, we tried to do baby stepson income generation and household fight against poverty. But in Nusaf III, we needed to focus on fighting household poverty, generating economic growth at community level and increase opportunities for income generation so that we build resilience,” he said.
Dr Limlim said that under the Nusaf III project, beneficiaries are required to save at least 30 per cent of their income in a group so as to create a revolving fund that can be tapped into to access affordable capital to fuel business expansion.
“We partnered with Enterprise Uganda to build business mindset and to inculcate the determination in the minds of the people to work themselves out of poverty instead of waiting for handouts,” Lim Lim said.
After the five year period that ends in March 2021, Nusaf III is expected to reach at least 10 million Ugandans in the Northern and Eastern regions. The project started in March 2016.