Over 100 young women showcased their small businesses at a special women’s business market exhibition aimed at empowering them.
It was dubbed “Women’s Day Katale,” and it was put on by the Ugandan Private Sector Foundation (PSFU), which is the country’s top business group. It was in honour of International Women’s Day 2022, which was about investing in young women for a more sustainable future.
Speaking at the event hosted at Kasana Sports Grounds in Luwero, Hon. Victoria Sekitoleko, the Vice Chairperson of the PSFU Board, said, “Through this initiative, we are re-echoing our recognition of the contributions, resilience, and potential of young women in Uganda. This Women’s Day, Katale provides an opportunity for young women in Luweero to gain linkages for their goods, products, and services to the available market.
The exhibitors got help with business development through free financial literacy, brand image consultations, and advice on how to use technology to support their long-term business goals while still ensuring sustainability and excellence.
In his address, Adrian Bukenya, Uganda Country Head at the Mastercard Foundation, highlighted the fact that Uganda has one of the highest proportions of women-owned businesses anywhere in the world. It is up to all of us to ensure young women and men have the support they need to drive change in their communities and contribute to our economy as equals. We need to work with intentionality, urgency, and scale to enable systems-level changes that will catalyse opportunities for young women in Uganda and, indeed, the continent. ”
Bukenya commended the exhibitors for their skills, creativity, and value and highlighted two young women who participated in the exhibition. Nineteen-year old Namato Shamira, who recently enrolled in the URDT (Uganda Rural Development Training Institute), is expanding her tailoring skills and learning to make shoes and bags. She started her own business, tripled her income, and plans to pay forward her experience to 30 other young women.
Thirty-year old Bernadette Ojao’s struggle started after dropping out of high school, and she spent almost three years searching for a job to earn a living and look after her family. Her luck changed when a friend gave her a sewing machine. She, however, did not have the skills or knowledge of the fashion or design industry to put the gift to good use.
When The Innovation Village, a Mastercard Foundation Young Africa Works partner, put out a call to entrepreneurs, she leapt at the chance to join the creative industry. Through upskilling and business support, she learned how to make reusable sanitary pads and reusable masks. Her first sale was of 1,500 face masks to Tugende, a Bodaboda company that supplied the masks to its motorcycle riders in Kampala. Bernadette currently employs six fellow women from local communities and the slums of Kamwokya.
More than 300 people from the local government, the private sector, and the community came to the event at the Luwero Kasana Sports Grounds.