By : Rose Kasigwa

Women entrepreneurs in West Nile are expected to benefit from improved access to loans under the government’s Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Entrepreneurs (GROW) Project, following a revision of lending conditions that had limited access to the funds.

The changes include reducing the minimum loan amount from four million shillings to two million shillings for Ugandan women and one million shillings for refugees. Savings and credit cooperative organizations (SACCOs) and selected microfinance institutions have also been brought on board to expand access to financing.

The revisions follow complaints from women entrepreneurs and local leaders that the initial lending requirements, particularly those imposed by participating commercial banks, were too stringent for many potential beneficiaries.

Fridah Mboni, the GROW Project Refugee Specialist, said the revised conditions are intended to make the loans more accessible to eligible women entrepreneurs. She cited the involvement of SACCOs, including Koboko SACCO, as one of the measures being taken to reach more women.

The GROW Project is a government initiative funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in partnership with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda. It operates across districts, municipalities and cities, targeting women entrepreneurs whose businesses have been operating for more than a year and who can provide clear business registration and transaction records.

However, uptake of the loans has remained low in some areas. Journalists established that only eight women entrepreneurs in Obongi District had accessed the funds by the time of compiling this report. Local leaders attributed the low uptake partly to the initial lending conditions.

Amen Elizabeth, Chairperson of the Obongi Nile Women Entrepreneurs Platform, said the relaxed requirements and involvement of additional financial institutions could enable more women to benefit from the programme.

In Arua, GROW Project focal person Badaru Florence said some women had struggled to qualify for loans because commercial banks required collateral, including land titles.

In Zombo District, Assistant Resident District Commissioner Bruno Manano said local authorities would intensify mobilization efforts to reach more eligible women entrepreneurs.

Manano said the district would work with the GROW Project focal person to identify potential beneficiaries and help them understand the application requirements.