The program has given the women a platform to network and learn from other women in business and allowed them to create meaningful partnerships. It has allowed the women to position themselves much better in the market and also given them a chance to create more employment opportunities for people in the communities. Our dream is to see these women compete favorably in the economy and we will continue to support them along their journey.As business leaders, you have to challenge your beliefs, because how you think about yourself is how you will think about your business” – Janet Nambi, Founder, Unconscious Brilliance shared with participants during our 6-week business training and COVID recovery program.
The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt added to small business challenges around the world, regardless of size or location. As the business owners prepare to recover from th impacts of the pandemic such as difficulty in accessing markets, lack of capital and embracing the digital space, it is key that female entrepreneurs are empowered with the information they need to support their decision making.
We are passionate about empowering women with the information they need to help them gain skills needed to take on greater leadership roles in business and entrepreneurship. Our recently concluded 6-week business development and COVID recovery program did just that. In collaboration with the Innovation Village and with support from Funzi, our program equipped 75 graduating female students with information and skills that have allowed them to develop innovative strategies to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and also gain a competitive edge in the market even during these uncertain times.
This program is a part of the Next Wave Project, a market-led 5yr intervention addressing the key ecosystem challenges of youth job creation in the Ugandan marketplace. Participants engaged both online and offline.
Industry experts in various fields were invited to share their insights on how entrepreneurs can restructure, re-model and redefine their organizations by embracing innovative cultures. Over the 6 weeks, participants were equipped with management, leadership, digital and financial management skills and were also challenged to reevaluate their roles as founders and managers and also what to expect as they navigate those roles. Additionally, the program sought to emphasize collaboration between corporate Uganda and Small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
We concluded the program with a graduation ceremony on the 31st October with remarks from our founders, Peace Kuteesa and Sherifah Tumusiime and guest speakers, Andrew Muhwezi Founder, PCapital Group and Richard Okuti, National Coordinator, Netherland Trust Fund who encouraged the companies aiming to leverage innovation to always consider the consumer when creating new innovations.
The masterclass left the ladies with technical skills which shall enable better production efficiency within female owned businesses and stronger business leadership and team development and was very timely as majority of the women started their businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. This has allowed them to better position themselves in the market.
Special thanks to our partners and our program sponsors, Mastercard, Innovation Village and Funzi for believing in our vision and our facilitators Benjamin Rukwengye, Sulaiman Katongole, Richard Okuti, Alesi Majorine, Janet Nambi, Andrew Muhwezi, Silver Kayondo, and Emmauel Tumuhaise for sharing valuable insights and making our event a success.
We successfully commenced our second cohort of the business development program on Tuesday 17th November 2020, this time with 100 women participating both online and offline. We are so excited to go on this business transforming journey with these ladies into the amazing world of technology and excited to support them through mentorship and knowledge sharing and access to networks.
Want to be apart of our next cohort? Stay tuned on our online platforms for updates when our next cohort starts.
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