Empower 1,200 Ugandan women to start businesses

In 2025 Street Business School set an ambitious goal of training 1,200 Ugandan women to become entrepeneurs and start their own micro-businesses. In total, we achieved our goal and graduated 1,578 from our program!

• Buliisa, Uganda - In October, 671 individuals graduated (out of a goal of 600), with an average income increase of 81%.
• Fort Portal, Uganda - We finished our project in this rural community in Western Uganda with a second program graduation on January 31, 2026. In total, 711 individuals graduated (out of a goal of 600) with an average increase in income of 96%.  
• Kampala, Uganda - In early February. We saw 196 graduates (out of a goal of 300), with an average change in income of 215% through a project partnership with WeltHungerHilfe to test adding Street Business School to their vocational training program!

Across all projects we saw strong rates of business ownership and income gains for our graduates. While we are proud of the total number of women that we trained, the real power of our work is evidenced in individual stories of transformation.

Success Story: Amanyire Grace, Building Step by Step 

Grace, a 49-year-old mother of nine, spent years juggling tailoring and farming. Despite her relentless effort, she struggled to get ahead. “I used to work very hard, but money would disappear,” she recalls. 

Her breakthrough came through entrepreneurship training. By mastering record-keeping, Grace gained the clarity to scale. She pivoted from small tailoring jobs to supplying bulk school uniforms. With a modest $33.49 investment, she secured contracts with four schools, creating the consistent income she once lacked. 

“I decided to grow instead of waiting for things to change,” Grace says. She now views her business like a tree that bears fruit through steady care. She has since diversified into a beverage business and collaborates with her savings group, believing that "when one woman succeeds, we all succeed." 

Grace’s journey proves that success isn’t about perfect conditions; it’s about mindset and discipline. She no longer waits for a "perfect" windfall, instead reinvesting small profits to build her future. Her philosophy is powerful in its simplicity: “If you wait for the perfect moment, it will never come. Start where you are and build from there.”