Economic Growth Uganda Project #61102

Micro-loans to rural Women entrepreneurs in Uganda

by Soil Health & Climate Action Network (SHCAN)

Project Report | Jun 22, 2026
Strengthening Women-Owned Micro Businesses

By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader

The Microloan Project is an innovative initiative designed to support people operating micro businesses and help them progress from one level of income to another. The project adopts a two-pronged approach: providing women with loans that correspond to the scale of their business operations, while simultaneously equipping them with business development and management skills through training and routine monitoring visits. This approach is intended to enable beneficiaries to effectively utilize the loans, grow their enterprises, and eventually outgrow the need for small loans as their businesses become more sustainable and profitable.

As part of the project implementation, three groups mainly composed of women were identified and supported. The women first underwent training in business development and management skills and were subsequently provided with loans to strengthen and expand their businesses. The enterprises supported included sandal businesses, food stalls, general merchandise shops and agricultural businesses.

The trainings were conducted on 11 March 2026 in Bulyango and Bujwahya, and 12 March 2026 in Mbaraara. The objective of these sessions was to equip women with the knowledge and practical skills needed to start, grow, and sustain profitable enterprises. In Hoima District, many small businesses face challenges such as limited capital, inadequate record keeping, poor financial management, and restricted access to markets. The training therefore sought to address these gaps and improve participants' capacity to manage their businesses more effectively.

The training covered the following areas:

Transforming business ideas into practical and viable business ventures;
Understanding the components of a business plan;
Setting business goals and objectives;
Basic bookkeeping and record keeping;
Cash flow management;
Budget preparation;
Savings and investment practices;
Accessing and managing loans responsibly;
Stock control methods;
Managing suppliers and business relationships;
Marketing and customer care.

At the conclusion of the training, ten women received financial support in the form of microloans to boost their businesses. The loans were tailored to the size and needs of each enterprise to ensure that the funds could be productively invested. Beneficiaries are expected to repay the loans after a period of three months, allowing the revolving fund to support additional women entrepreneurs in the future.

Through the combination of access to finance, practical business skills, and ongoing follow-up visits, the project is expected to improve business performance, increase household incomes, strengthen women's economic resilience, and contribute to sustainable livelihoods within the targeted communities.

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Feb 26, 2026
Training for farmers' group

By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader

Farmers during the training

On 21 February 2026, we held a training for Twesigagane group in Mbaraara. The training tookplace at one of the group member's residence found in Mbaraara trading centre. The training focused at empowering farmers with essential business skills, aiming to improve the sustainability of new enterprises and increase income, particularly for women and rural entrepreneurs. The training covered financial management, record-keeping, and marketing, is linked to higher profitability and better loan repayment rates.

Objectives of Training

To provide entrepreneurs with necessary management skills to run their businesses effectively.
To teach basic record-keeping, allowing beneficiaries to track profits, losses, and stock on a weekly/monthly basis.
To reduce loan delinquency (defaults) by educating borrowers on financial obligations and business sustainability.
To encourage structured planning and strategic business growth.

Key Topics Covered during the training

Financial Management: Bookkeeping, cash flow management, and understanding profit/loss.
Business Planning & Strategy: Goal setting, marketing, and market analysis.
Loan Compliance: Training on interest rates, repayment schedules, and loan insurance.
Technical Skills: Sector-specific knowledge (Forexample effective agricultural techniques).

Outcome of the training

Farmers were gained knowledge on better record-keeping and more informed decision-making regarding inventory and sales.

Training equipped farmers with knowledge to set goals for their businesses inorder to keep on track and expand their businesses.

Challenge

Micro loan was tailored for women but more men turned up for the training. We encourged those men to inspire and support their wives to join such saving groups in order to grow their family income.

Action point

Participants will write down goals for their businesses for next five years.

Enterpreneurs will fill in the loan application forms

Our staff will carry out assessment for their farmers

Issue out loans for qualified businesses

Training is a crucial component in empowering entrepreneurs in business and loan management.

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Oct 29, 2025
Updates on Micro-loans project

By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader

Farmers in a meeting before receiving loans

Micro-loans to rural Women entrepreneurs in Uganda project is a project implemented in Kitoba Subsounty in Hoima District. The project focuses on empowering rural women economically, socially and promoting gender equity in the community. We provide loans, training, and ongoing business support to rural women in Kitoba- Hoima, giving them the opportunity to kickstart their own income generating activities.

In August 2025, we supported 6 rural women from 2 villages with loan to boost their businesses. Those women invested the loans in different ventures namely crop husbandry, retail shops, local hotel and poultry; Rosemary, Christine and Margerat invested the money in hiring workers to plough their gardens, Josephine invested her loan in buying more stock for her shop, Edinansi increased on food items for local restaurant and Sarah bought feedings for her poultry.

We recently conducted support and suppervision visits on 2 beneficiaries' businesses (Edinansi and Sarah). The visits aimed at checking the status of businesses for women who took micro-loan money in August 2025.

Status of businesses

Sarah

She has reared 200 croiler chickens
The chickens are now 2 months old and they are ready for sale
She bought each chick at 3000 uganda shillings (Ugx) each and sales manure chicken at 15000 Ugx
She makes profit of 5000 ugx per chicken.

Sarah said the loan enhanced her business, she would not be able to feed the chickens without this loan. The loan helped her to buy feedings for the birds from young stage to maturity.

Edinansi

She bought more food stuff for her restuarant which increased her capital
Before the loan, she was feeding 10 people a day and now she feeds 15 people a day
She added passion fruit juice on the menu.

Edinansi is grateful that the loan boosted her operational cost thus enhancing her income.

The micro-loan Initiative continues to make a positive impact on small businesses and low-income entrepreneurs in the rural community Kitoba-Hoima.

Edinansi serving customer in her local restaurant

Sarah feeding poultry

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