Martha Alupo in her shop in Kumi
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Across Uganda, access to affordable finance is reshaping the fortunes of women entrepreneurs, enabling them to expand enterprises, create jobs, and strengthen household incomes.
At the heart of this transformation is the Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) Project, a US$217 million World Bank-funded initiative designed to empower female entrepreneurs, including those in refugee-hosting districts.
Launched by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the project is implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in partnership with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU). Its focus is on transforming established businesses rather than startups, helping women move from micro to small scale and from small to medium enterprises through affordable credit and business development support.
One of the success stories is that of Martha Alupo, 36, the proprietor of Good Luck Stationery and Printer in Kanyumu B Ward, South Division, Kumi District. For 12 years, Alupo has built her stationery and printing business largely on bank loans, despite the burden of high interest rates.
Starting with just Shs2 million, which she persuaded her husband to provide, she paid rent and bought a photocopying machine and a laptop, laying the foundation for what has grown into a business now valued at about Shs40 million.
“I never wanted to depend on my husband’s income all the time. I wanted something that would supplement our household earnings,” Alupo says. Her early loans attracted interest rates of up to 25 percent, limiting her capacity to reinvest and expand.
Relief came with the GROW loan. Through Finance Trust Bank, Alupo accessed Shs10 million at a reduced interest rate of 10.5 percent, which she invested in stocking counter books, photocopying paper, pens, and other supplies. The expanded stock has positioned her to supply nearby schools and retail outlets around Kumi town, significantly boosting her revenue prospects.
Dr Ruth Aisha Biyinzika Kasolo, the GROW Project Coordinator at the PSFU, says the GROW Project is a game-changer for women entrepreneurs.
“Affordable financing is critical for women-led businesses to grow. The GROW Loan eases access to capital, strengthens resilience, and enables women to reinvest, innovate, and create employment, especially for other women,” she notes.
She adds that empowering women economically has a multiplier effect on families and communities, improving education, health, and overall welfare.
For Alupo and many others across Uganda, small loans under the GROW Project are delivering big dreams—turning passion into profit, restoring hope, and driving inclusive economic growth powered by women
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