MPL, partners empower women entrepreneurs
Women entrepreneurs attend a programme at Pauline Hotel in Lira Town on Wednesday. PHOTO BY BARBARA AKITE
Lira- Hundreds of women entrepreneurs from across the country have benefited from a mentorship programme aimed at transforming Uganda through sustained investment and support to women’s economic empowerment.
The two-day programme under the theme: ‘Taking your business ahead’ was held in Lira, Kampala, Arua, Jinja and Mbarara districts from August 22-23.
The Rising Woman programme was sponsored by Monitor Publications Limited’s (MPL) flagship brand Daily Monitor in partnership with dfcu Bank and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA). The MPL head of marketing, Ms Sarah Nalule Walakira, said the programme was part of the initiative to harness the economic potential of women across the country.
Opportunity to write proposals
Under the initiative, beneficiaries are given an opportunity to write proposals that would take their businesses to the next level and be able to win prizes. This year, the winners of the top three proposals will walk away with prizes ranging from Shs5 million to Shs15 million. Also, the top 10 women entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to benefit from an exchange programme in Nairobi, Kenya next year, according to Ms Nalule.
“So it’s intended to help businesses across the year to get to the next level. Not just telling women you can access money but also helping them to understand when you access money, how do you pay taxes, how do you pay for your trading license, how do you register your businesses, how do you borrow money and able to repay,” she said on Wednesday, explaining that such opportunity encompasses a wide scope. Currently, Daily Monitor is using Prosper, a pullout magazine in the paper every Tuesday, to disseminate information on how women can do their businesses better but also to profile women that have succeeded in business.
“This is done so that other women can learn from them because many of us learn from one another, so that as women entrepreneurs they don’t make the same mistakes somebody else did make,” she added.
Ms Esther Odomoch, a produce dealer, said she learned a lot during the sessions.
“I learned that record keeping is important because it helps you to know whether you are making losses or profits,” she said.
Ms Scovia Akello, another produce dealer said before the training she did not have financial discipline.
“I also used not to keep records of my business but after this training I will improve,” she said.
Indeed, the UN women deputy executive director, Ms Lakshmi Puri, recently said such training opportunities are very healthy for the global economic growth.
“We are convinced that women entrepreneurs can drive economic growth, but only if they are enabled to realise their rights and if we work in partnership with business, government and civil society to improve their opportunities and outcomes in global value chains,” she said at the Global Conference on Women and Entrepreneurship, in Hangzhou, China, on July 10, 2017.
