The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has asked women to remain respectful to their husbands even after gaining more skills through the Grow project.

He said this during a graduation ceremony at Malayika Vocational and Business Institute in Kampala on Friday, May 3, 2024, where 144 businesswomen were passed out with skills in catering and baking as well as cosmetology, fashion and design.

He urged the women to involve their families in business to grow them.

“This is an opportunity for women to shine; not replacing the heads of families, but working together with family members to grow their incomes," he said.

Grow Project coordinator Dr Ruth Aisha celebrating with the graduates.

Tayebwa encouraged the women to always save, however little the money is so that they can borrow from banks whenever they wish.

“Those of you who wish to add more capital to your businesses should think about saving. This does not mean you should save a lot, save however little the money is. Saving shows that even when a financial institution lends you money, you will be able to pay back the loan," he noted.

Financial support

The Grow Project coordinator, Dr Ruth Aisha Kasolo, noted that the project has been funded with sh800b from the World Bank, and about sh400b is set aside for women to receive as loans at an interest rate of 10% annually.

She, however, said that women who will take up these loans and pay them back in time (within one year), will only pay a 5% interest rate and the rest will be serviced by the World Bank.

According to the director of the Industrial Training Institute, Dr Patrick Byakatonda, the Grow project has come at a time when other economies, such as China, had already discovered the secret of empowering women.

“The certificates we award today reflect the women's competencies in whatever business they are doing,” he says.

Byakatonda noted that with this certificate, women can compete locally and internationally because they are internationally recognized.

He also advised businesswomen to use the tools and seed capital from this training to be able to grow and influence their communities.