99 Women Entrepreneurs Graduate from AWE Program

On February 9, 99 women entrepreneurs from Kampala, Lira, and Fort Portal joyfully graduated from the 7th cohort of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Program, marking a significant step toward women's economic empowerment.

This milestone, supported by the US Embassy in conjunction with SHONA Group, represents a coordinated effort to promote women's empowerment across a variety of sectors, including education, agribusiness, healthcare, and tourism, according to industry experts.

The AWE Program, led by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and facilitated by the US Embassy, works in collaboration with Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRan, a global copper mining company. It strives to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary tools, information, and networking opportunities to start and grow their enterprises.

With insights from U.S. company development practices, program participants are now eligible for grant financing options from the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) and business loans ranging from Shs3.5 million to Shs35 million from SHONA Capital.

Ellen Masi, the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Counsellor, praised Uganda's female entrepreneurs and emphasized the significance of ongoing assistance beyond training programs.

Joachim Ewechu, co-founder and CEO of SHONA Group, expressed joy with the program's success, reaffirming the organization's commitment to promoting economic growth and livelihoods in Uganda and around the region.

SHONA Group, which has over a decade of experience assisting entrepreneurs in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and other countries, remains committed to developing Good Businesses and looks forward to future cooperation with the US Embassy in Uganda.