Entrepreneurship Education

Breaking New Ground for Women's Economic Enterprise Development at the Grassroots. Click for more.

Women As Assets

Time immemorial women were considered as assets to men. This was a form of oppression and a sign of gender imbalance. After the 18th December 1979 International Convention of Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) on gender inequality women internationally have now been recognized as contributors to the Nations Development, therefore, all forms of oppression and discrimination are now considered as injustices against women human rights. And policies have been formulated Internationally favouring gender equality. Fighting illiteracy is amongst them.

NVIWODA is one of the many women Non- Government organization based at the grassroots in Uganda working upon the same issue.

Economic Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship Education

After the period of oppression and many Global and Local changes occurring Worldwide due to various reasons, many women have come up to join the Business Industry, but majority are unskilled in the Sector. Yet they need to participate in the Nations Social and Economic Development and due to lack of formal education, starting a business is the only option.

NVIWODA supported by the Global Fund for Women (GFW) - U.S.A. realized this and established, NVIWODA Centre for Women Entrepreneurship and Career Development, which is a Training Department to attack poverty and assist all the categories of women operating small and micro-enterprises, to enable them acquire entrepreneurship skills for business start up and growth. Over 441 women and youth and a few men have directly benefited from the Entrepreneurship Education Programmes.

Women overcoming poverty through Micro-Credit

Micro credit is one of the main programmes of micro finance development that targets the semi-literate and illiterate poor women and men, including those living in remote areas. Although the three appears to be the main objectives of Micro Finance Development, there are few Micro Finance Institutions, which have considered them.

Most of the MFI's, considers offering financial services only, in real sense they have not realized their main objectives of fighting poverty. Therefore NVIWODA realizing this, it has gone as far as uniting all the three objectives of promoting literacy, fighting poverty and reaching the grassroots level through its Micro -Credit scheme. i.e. through self-help efforts NVIWODA developed a Revolving Fund and Entrepreneurs Development and Career Support Scheme among its membership.

Our future intention is to very soon, collectively establish a sound Women MFI to some Districts basing on our gained experience since 1999.

Vocational skills training

The NVIWODA Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development, aims at not only equipping women and youth with skills, but also empowers them with innovative ideas.
Through the innovative building trainings women have learnt various vocational skills like Tie and Dye, Food Processing i.e. Baking, and Fruit Processing into concentrates, Wine and Jam, Craft making i.e. Beadwork, and much more diversity skills are offered.

The skills have enabled those who had no occupation to generate one or enable others to diversify with aim of sustainable livelihoods and transfer of technical skills to their children. i.e. Mrs. Merab Bibangamba, among others, has acquired skills from the Centre and is now one of the prominent bead makers, and sweater knitting in the city. She used to run a restaurant, but it had to collapse due to lack of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. When she joined NVIWODA in 1996, as a member she acquired the beading skills and through NVIWODA, she was later exposed to pursue sweater knitting skills, and established cottage industry where now she earns an income and according to her she loves her job very much. She also trained in a food-processing course organized by NVIWODA and she now makes Wine, as an additional income.

ICT can Enhance Women Entrepreneurs

Women Entrepreneurs can enhance ICT's to improve their businesses and reduce on their expenditure through learning to transact business on line and utilization of computer applications. After having realized that entrepreneurship alone cannot facilitate business growth, and as women continued to lack information, media of networking and sharing of both local and global information, including market, the Centre offers Information and Communication Technologies (ICT's) in addition to entrepreneurship. The businesswomen are introduced to Computer and hands on skills development in order to equip them with skills to utilize Internet and E-mail