Share this article

Lands Minister Judith Nabakooba launched the Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) programme in Greater Mubende to boost household incomes. The event, held on June 20, 2024, at Enro Hotel in Mityana, was attended by over 400 women from Kassanda and Mityana districts.

Lands minister Judith Nabakooba has launched the Government initiative dubbed Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) programme in the greater Mubende region to boost household incomes.

This was during a function that was held at Enro Hotel in Mityana district on June 20, 2024, and attended by over 400 women from the first two beneficiating districts of Kassanda and Mityana.

She called upon women to embrace the programme, which started with two districts in greater Mubende but will spread to other districts when more funds are available.

“We are happy for the GROW programme that has reached Kassanda and Mityana. In a special way, I want to thank the Minister of Gender for having agreed to bring this programme to our districts,” Nabakooba said.

The GROW programme arose out of the women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses, sustain their self-employment and create more jobs.

The minister encouraged women to always utilize the opportunities that come with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party to alleviate poverty.

“We believe the GROW programme is going to elevate women to another level. We have been participating and we are grateful to the different innovations and opportunities brought up by the government,” she said.

She noted that some of the government programmes introduced include the Parish Development Model, the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme and the Youth Livelihood Programme, among others.

Unlike other government programmes, GROW is specifically tailored for women who are elevating from lower levels to another level. They give funds starting from sh4m.

“If you have organised your concept so well, you can get the money, use it and return it in a year at a rate of 10%,” Nabakooba said.

She asked women to be innovative, go the extra mile to be team players and ensure they develop bankable projects that can bring in money.

She appreciated President Yoweri Museveni for rooting for women and bringing them on board on issues of development.

“We were at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort Hotel (recently) with foreign delegates and people were wondering how a woman is allowed to head the lands ministry. That elsewhere, women are not allowed to hold land. Titles are supposed to be for men,” Nabakooba remarked.

She contributed sh10m towards the GROW programme and pledged to rally women to support the NRM and engage in different government programmes.

What others say

One of the trainers of the GROW programme, Angella Nakafeero from Kassanda, told the minister that women were trained in how to manage businesses and boost them from one level to another.

“Majority of today’s participants are leaders from different levels and we have encouraged them to convey the message we have discussed to those who were not able to make it here,” she said.

Nakafeero thanked the Government for introducing laws that protect women such as the Succession Amendment Act.

Viola Nazziwa Bbosa, women chairperson of Malangala sub-county, expressed her gratitude to the Government and said the GROW programme is going to be beneficial to the women already in business.