By Mulengera Reporters
RUBANDA DISTRICT — More than 100 salon operators among over 300 women entrepreneurs participating in specialized advanced skills training under the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project have put their newly acquired skills into practice, offering hairdressing, beauty and cosmetology services to community members at the famous Tuesday market day-Karukaara Market in Rubanda District.
The community engagement exercise, organized by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) under the GROW Project, provides trainees with an opportunity to demonstrate their practical competencies while bringing professional beauty services closer to local residents. The initiative aims to equip women entrepreneurs with advanced technical skills and business knowledge to improve service delivery, grow their enterprises and increase their incomes.
The trainees began their 12-day specialized training on October 12, 2026, and are expected to complete it at a ceremony scheduled for October 23, 2026, at the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE) in Kabale, formerly Kabale National Teachers College. The ceremony is expected to be graced by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, with GROW Project National Coordinator Dr. Ruth Biyinzika expected to deliver the keynote address encouraging the women to translate their newly acquired skills into sustainable businesses.
From Basic Hairdressing to Professional Beauty Services
The training is facilitated by Malaika Vocational and Business Institute, based along Lugogo Bypass in Kampala, which has nearly 16 years of experience.
The hair dressing, beauty and cosmetology training participants have acquired skills in hair washing, conditioning, colouring, braiding, weaving, blow-drying, styling, chemical treatments, dreadlocks maintenance and wig care. The cosmetology component covers facial cleansing, foundation application, eyebrow shaping, eye makeup, eyelash application, lipstick techniques, bridal and evening makeup, and safe makeup removal.
These competencies are expected to help participants diversify their services, attract more customers, improve service quality, increase earnings and create employment opportunities within their communities.
Aloysious Magezi, the lead trainer and Projects Manager at Malaika Vocational and Business Institute, said the training addresses challenges affecting rural women entrepreneurs, including limited access to advanced technical skills, equipment, business management knowledge and capital.
He emphasized that technical skills alone are insufficient to build sustainable enterprises, noting that Business Development Services (BDS) help entrepreneurs develop business plans, understand markets, manage finances and make informed investment decisions.
Magezi said the programme is expected to enable women to transform their businesses and improve their families’ livelihoods.
Women Entrepreneurs Share Their Experiences
For Margaret Owenema, a mother of two from Bishaki Village in Butale-Katojo Town Council, Rubanda District, the training presents an opportunity to transform her small salon into a more competitive business.
Owenema said she joined the programme to improve her professional skills and expand beyond basic hairdressing. Before the training, her earnings were unpredictable, reaching about Shs100,000 during the Christmas season, while some ordinary days passed without a customer.
Through the training, she has learned modern techniques, including bridal styling and hair colouring, alongside improved customer care and salon management.
She plans to introduce additional services, charge appropriately for specialized work and make her salon more attractive to customers. She also hopes to share her knowledge with other girls to help them acquire employable skills and contribute to household incomes.
However, Owenema noted that household decision-making and loan requirements can limit women’s access to financing. She called for greater engagement with husbands and families to promote understanding of women’s economic empowerment.
Jane Charity Ninsiima, a mother of one from Rwarugamba Cell, Kibuzigye Ward, Hamuhambo Town Council, said the training had filled an important gap in her salon business.
Previously, she mainly offered hairdressing services and referred customers seeking professional makeup, particularly bridal clients, to providers in Kabale town because she lacked the necessary skills, equipment and resources.
Having acquired new competencies, Ninsiima plans to introduce daytime, evening, bridal and photography makeup services at her salon. She now understands how to select and apply colours according to different occasions.
Her next step is to acquire the equipment needed to begin offering these services locally. She also hopes to access financing through the GROW Project to expand her business.
Ninsiima encouraged fellow women to acquire practical skills, strengthen their enterprises and work towards financial independence.
Linking Skills, Finance and Women’s Economic Empowerment
The experiences of Owenema and Ninsiima highlight both the opportunities and challenges facing women entrepreneurs in rural communities. While advanced skills can help businesses attract customers and diversify their services, sustainable growth also requires equipment, working capital, business development support and supportive household environments.
Through the GROW Project, PSFU seeks to address barriers limiting the growth of women-owned enterprises by strengthening technical capacity and supporting business development.
As the trainees demonstrate their newly acquired skills at Karukaara Market, the exercise provides a practical opportunity to apply their training in real business settings and connect with potential customers.
The upcoming graduation ceremony at UNITE Kabale is expected to celebrate the women’s achievements and reinforce the importance of translating their skills into sustainable businesses, improved livelihoods and employment opportunities for other women and young people in their communities. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
