By Mulengera Reporters
A Shs55 million loan under the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project has helped Christine Muheirwe establish a restaurant in Bukanga, Nakivale, Isingiro District, creating jobs for 12 people and providing them with an income.
Muheirwe says the financing, accessed through Opportunity Bank, enabled her to start the restaurant, which now employs five men and seven women. She says the business generates enough income to pay her workers while allowing her to make a profit.
Speaking in an interview on September 23, 2026, Muheirwe credited the GROW Project for helping her turn her business ambitions into reality, singling out Dr. Ruth Biyinzika Kasolo, the project coordinator at the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), for appreciation.
“I want to thank the directors of the GROW Project for women, led by Dr. Ruth Biyinzika. The project has changed my life. I got Shs55 million as a loan, which helped me start my restaurant,” she said.
For Muheirwe, the impact of the loan goes beyond opening a restaurant. The business has created a source of income for 12 workers, seven of whom are women, while giving her an opportunity to earn a profit.
“I pay them and make a profit out of the GROW business,” she said.
She added that she had not encountered community-related challenges since opening the restaurant in Nakivale.
The GROW Project is implemented by PSFU in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, with financing from the World Bank. It aims to expand women entrepreneurs’ access to finance and business support services to help them establish, grow and sustain their enterprises.
The GROW loan facility targets micro and small enterprises in which women own at least 51 per cent of the shareholding. Eligible businesses span sectors including agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, construction, science and technology, services, creative arts and information and communication technology.
Dr. Kasolo has emphasised that the programme is intended to deliver more than access to capital, arguing that the growth of women-owned businesses can create jobs, support families and strengthen local economies.
“GROW is not simply about putting money into the hands of women; it is about giving women-owned enterprises the capital, knowledge and opportunity to move from survival to sustainable growth. When a woman’s business grows, she does not grow alone — she creates income, supports families, generates employment and strengthens the economy around her,” she said.
The project has recorded significant lending activity. As of June 30, 2026, the GROW Financing Facility had registered 10,096 loans, with cumulative disbursements of Shs161 billion through 14 participating financial institutions.
Muheirwe’s experience illustrates the employment potential of the initiative, with the Shs55 million financing supporting a restaurant that now provides work for 12 people in Nakivale.
For the seven women and five men employed at the restaurant, the business represents more than a place to work: it is a source of income sustained by an enterprise that Muheirwe says has become profitable.(For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
