By Mulengera Reporters
Three hundred women entrepreneurs from Rubanda District have embarked on a 12-day specialized skills training programme under the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project, an initiative aimed at improving business performance, expanding access to finance and creating employment opportunities.
The programme, implemented by the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), follows concerns raised by Rubanda District Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Ahabwe over the limited technical and business skills affecting women entrepreneurs across several sectors.
The training, which began on October 12, 2026, targets women engaged in tailoring and garment making, hairdressing, cosmetology, beauty services, agribusiness and other enterprises.
According to the GROW Project, many of the targeted women have been operating businesses for years but lack advanced technical skills needed to improve productivity, increase profits and move their enterprises to higher levels of growth.
The 12-day programme brings together industry experts to equip participants with specialized skills relevant to their respective sectors. The initiative also adopts a trainer-of-trainees approach, under which the 300 women are expected to transfer the knowledge acquired to other women in their communities, extending the programme’s reach beyond the initial beneficiaries.
Beyond technical training, the project is seeking to improve the financial readiness of participating entrepreneurs by helping them maintain proper business records, open bank accounts and understand available financing opportunities.
Participating financial institutions are expected to engage the women on financial management and the products available under the GROW programme, with the aim of preparing them to access credit and invest in expanding their businesses.
The project also incorporates efforts to address challenges women face when engaging with financial institutions. Participating institutions have received training on appropriate ways of working with women entrepreneurs, including approaches intended to help address domestic violence and other barriers that may limit women’s financial independence.
The expected outcomes include improved business management, increased revenues and profits, employment creation and better household livelihoods. By strengthening the capacity of women already engaged in business, the initiative seeks to address a gap among entrepreneurs whose enterprises have struggled to grow despite years of operation.
The GROW Project is being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
Rubanda’s Growing Commercial Activity
The programme comes at a time when Rubanda District continues to pursue economic development through agriculture, trade and government-supported enterprise initiatives.
The district has an estimated population of more than 250,000 people, with agriculture remaining a major source of livelihood. Irish potatoes and tobacco are among its traditional agricultural products, while livestock and other farm commodities contribute to local trade.
Karukara market, particularly during its busy Tuesday trading day, is one of the area’s notable commercial centres, attracting traders dealing in cattle, Irish potatoes, tobacco and other goods.
Rubanda was created in 2016 alongside neighbouring Rukiga District through the division of the former Greater Kabale administrative area. Since its establishment, the district has continued to benefit from government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, which seek to strengthen household incomes and support enterprise development.
The district’s development efforts have also been associated with the leadership of Henry Musasizi, the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Rubanda East.
Musasizi previously chaired Parliament’s Committee on Finance, Planning and Economic Development from 2016 to 2021 before serving as Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development in charge of General Duties from 2021 to 2026.
Against this background, the introduction of specialized business skills training through the GROW Project is expected to complement existing government interventions by targeting women whose enterprises require additional technical expertise and stronger links to formal financial services.
Training Completion Ceremony Expected in Kabale
The 300 women are expected to complete their training on October 23, 2026, at the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE) in Kabale, formerly known as Kabale National Teachers College.
The completion ceremony is expected to be attended by Finance Minister Henry Musasizi, while GROW Project National Coordinator Dr. Ruth Biyinzika is expected to deliver the keynote address.
The ceremony is expected to focus on the need for the beneficiaries to apply their newly acquired skills to improve business performance, build sustainable enterprises and create opportunities for other women in their communities.
For Rubanda’s women entrepreneurs, the initiative offers an opportunity to strengthen existing businesses, improve access to formal financing and contribute more significantly to the district’s economic growth. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
