UWEP

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Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP)

The Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) is an initiative of the Government of Uganda that is aimed at improving access to financial services for women and equipping them with skills for enterprise growth, value addition and marketing of their products and services.

UWEP, implemented as a Rolling Programme under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), is intended to empower Ugandan women for economic development.

The Programme is designed to address the challenges women face in undertaking economically viable enterprises including the limited access to affordable credit, limited technical knowledge and skills for business development, limited access to markets as well as information regarding business opportunities.

The programme is envisaged to increase participation of women in business development, increase their incomes, livelihood security and overall quality of life.

Programme Goal

The overall goal of the Programme is to empower Ugandan women to improve their income levels and their contribution to economic development.

Specific Objectives;

- To strengthen the capacity of women for entrepreneurship development

- To provide affordable credit and support access to other financial services to enable women establish and grow their business enterprises

- To facilitate women’s access to markets for their products and services

- To promote access to appropriate technologies for production and value addition

- To strengthen Programme management and coordination

Target Population

The primary target beneficiaries of the Programme are women within the age bracket of 18-65 years. The assumption is that those beyond 65 years will be catered for under the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment of Elderly Persons (SAGE) Programme. Since the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP) targets young women aged 18 – 30 years (the Programme guidelines stipulate that 30% of the Youth Interest Group members should be female), the female youth already benefiting from YLP are not considered as beneficiaries for UWEP. The Programme strongly emphasizes the integration of the following categories of women into beneficiary groups:

(i) Unemployed women

(ii) Vulnerable Groups e.g. Single young mothers, Widows and gender based Violence (GBV) survivors

(iii) Women with Disabilities

(iv) Women living with HIV/AIDS

(v) Women heading households

(vi) Women slum dwellers

(vii) Women living in hard to reach areas, and

(viii) Ethnic minorities.

Criteria for selection of beneficiaries

The beneficiary women groups are identified and selected through a community participatory process that involves LC 1 and Women Council leaders as trusted members of the community. The selection of the women to benefit under the UWEP is undertaken by the Beneficiary Selection Committee chaired by the Sub-County Chief with members including the Chairperson of the Sub-County Women Council and the Community Development Officer. The respective LC 1 Chairpersons confirms that the selected women group members are bona fide Ugandans who reside within their respective communities (the catchment area for the group membership may be a village, parish and must not go beyond a Sub County/ Town Council/ City Division).

For purposes of continuous involvement of the women and ensuring their representation in Programme processes, the Sub-County Women Council Chairperson and the District Women Council Chairperson are co-opted onto the Sub County Technical Planning Committee (STPC) and the District Technical Planning Committee (DTPC) during the approval of the Enterprise Proposals. The STPC submits the verified Women Proposals to the Sub County Executive Committee for endorsement and thereafter to the DTPC for approval with relevant documentation. The DTPC also submits the approved Women Proposals to the District Executive Committee for endorsement to ensure that equity issues are taken care of. Districts can approve proposals to the tune of Shs12.5million while proposals exceeding Shs12.5 million to a maximum of Shs25 million are approved at the Ministry.

Terms and Conditions

(i) Zero interest for repayments made within the first twelve months (one year) and a service fee of 5% per annum for the repayments made after 12 months. The service fee is meant to cater for inflation.

(ii) No physical assets/collateral required;

(iii) Repayment period of 1-3 years, depending on the nature of the enterprise;

(iv) Each repayment schedule is based on the nature and maturity period of the enterprise;

(v) Accessible for both existing and new groups,

(vi) Formal registration of groups not a pre-condition for access (but encouraged after access of funds as part of enterprise sustainability),

BENEFITING GROUPS IN MARACHA

NO	SUB COUNTY	PARISH	NAME OF GROUP
1.	NYADRI	BARIA	MUNGUECONI WOMEN GROUP
2.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	BURA	KOLI-KOLIA WOMEN GROUP
3.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	BURAMALI	ASSISI WOMEN GROUP
4.	KIJOMORO	DRANZIPI	AIA WOMEN GROUP
5.	OLUFFE	KIMIRU	AMAECORA WOMEN GROUP
6.	OLUVU	NYOGO	RENDRA ALIONYANYA WOMEN GROUP
7.	NYADRI	PABURA	ANIAKO WOMEN GROUP
8.	TARA	VURA	OFFUDRI WOMEN FARMERS' ASSOCIATION
9.	OLEBA	WOROGBO	KILEMBE AMA ALIODRORA WOMEN GROUP
10.	YIVU	AMANIPI	OKUYO DRILEBA WOMEN GROUP
11.	YIVU	AROI	OLOPARI ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
12.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	NYORIMADA WOMEN GROUP
13.	OLUVU	AYIKO	OKUBANI WOMEN GROUP
14.	OLEBA	BANGO	OCOKO WOMEN GROUP
15.	NYADRI	BARIA	NYAI WOMEN GROUP
16.	OLEBA	BURAMALI	MAECORA WOMEN GROUP
17.	OLUFFE	KIMIRU	ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
18.	KIJOMORO	LAMILA	POO WOMEN GROUP
19.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	MANASA WOMEN GROUP
20.	OLUVU	RIKABU	PADRUKU OBINDUA WOMEN FAL GROUP
21.	NYADRI	ROBU	ALIONZEPABO WOMEN GROUP
22.	TARA	VURA	KIGO WOMEN SAVINGS AND CREDIT GROUP
23.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	ADONGORO	DIDI WOMEN GROUP
24.	NYADRI	BARIA	MUNGUCI WOMEN GROUP
25.	OLUVU	DRAJU	NIGO ALIONYANYA WOMEN FAL GROUP
26.	YIVU	EGAMARA	OLEVU WOMEN GROUP
27.	OLEBA	ETOKO	ALIA WOMEN GROUP
28.	OLUFFE	MUNDRU	ABAA FAL GROUP
29.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	AMAECORA WOMEN GROUP
30.	YIVU	OKUVU	ALIRIMVU ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
31.	KIJOMORO	OLUVU	ODRUVU WOMEN GROUP
32.	OLUVU	OMBACI	AGAII TRADING CENTRE FISH MONGERS
33.	TARA	OMBAVU	OCEMACENI WOMEN GROUP
34.	OLUFFE	OTRAVU	ANDA AFA WOMEN GROUP
35.	YIVU	PAKAYO	OFFUDE KILOA VALLEY WOMEN GROUP
36.	OLEBA	PARANGA	ALIA ESSEMA WOMEN GROUP
37.	NYADRI	ROBU	NYARABU WOMEN GROUP
38.	NYADRI	BARIA	CABE WOMEN GROUP
39.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	KALIBAR WOMEN GROUP
40.	NYADRI	PABURA	AYIVU WOMEN GROUP
41.	NYADRI	ROBU	LENDERUKU WOMEN GROUP
42.	KIJOMORO	ALIVU	AJUPENI WOMEN GROUP
43.	KIJOMORO	ALIVU	AYINGABO WOMEN FAL GROUP
44.	KIJOMORO	AMBIDRO	LIKI WOMEN GROUP
45.	OLEBA	BANGO	ALIOEJINI WOMEN GROUP
46.	OLEBA	BURAMALI	JUPASI WOMEN GROUP
47.	KIJOMORO	DRANZIPI	AFANDAZU WOMEN GROUP
48.	OLEBA	ETOKO	ANGURUMA WOMEN GROUP
49.	OLUFFE	KAMAKA	AMBAYO FAL GROUP
50.	OLUFFE	KAMAKA	KORIBA WOMEN GROUP
51.	YIVU	LOINYA	LIMICA/LOINYA FAL/VSLA GROUP
52.	OLUFFE	MUNDRU	DRILEBA WOMEN GROUP
53.	KIJOMORO	OLUVU	OKAMVA WOMEN GROUP
54.	YIVU	OMBIA	MEKI CENTRAL WOMEN GROUP
55.	OLUFFE	OTRAVU	PANYANI WOMEN GROUP
56.	NYADRI	PABURA	CHAKUCHAKUA WOMEN GROUP
57.	NYADRI	PABURA	KIJOMORO WOMEN GROUP
58.	OLEBA	PARANGA	TAMBAZU WOMEN GROUP
59.	KIJOMORO	ROBU	OBOKOA WOMEN FAL GROUP
60.	NYADRI	ROBU	NYANGILA PHA WOMEN
61.	OLEBA	ROBU	ANGUOWIBO WOMEN GROUP
62.	OLEBA	WOROGBO	OCOKODROZU NYANGILO WOMEN GROUP
63.	OLEBA	ROBU	AZIPI ALIOWAKU WOMEN GROUP
64.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	ADONGORO	ADONGORO FAL WOMEN GROUP
65.	YIVU	ALARAPI	MUNGUDRIAVIKU WOMEN GROUP
66.	YIVU	AMANIPI	KIMIKIMIRU ASIANZU WOMEN GROUP
67.	OLUVU	AYIKO	AYIKO FAL WOMEN GROUP
68.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	BURA	ASIANZU WOMEN GROUP A
69.	OLEBA	BURAMALI	ALIOATIZU WOMEN GROUP
70.	OLUFFE	KAMAKA	ANGIRI WOMEN GROUP
71.	OLUFFE	KIMIRU	AMBEKUA WOMEN GROUP
72.	OLUFFE	MUNDRU	OVUJO A WOMEN GROUP
73.	OLUVU	NYOGO	AFAYO WOMEN GROUP
74.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	ZALIZA WOMEN GROUP
75.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	OFFUNYAVA WOMEN GROUP
76.	OLUVU	OMBACHI	ALIO AFA WOMEN GROUP
77.	OLUVU	OMBACHI	GALIA WOMEN SAVINGS GROUP
78.	OLUVU	OMBACHI	OLUVU WOMEN FOUNDATION
79.	YIVU	OMBIA	EYONDEAMABO WOMEN GROUP
80.	OLUFFE	OTRAVU	AYIVU B WOMEN GROUP
81.	NYADRI	PABURA	LURUA WOMEN GROUP
82.	YIVU	PAKAYO	BABA WOMEN GROUP
83.	OLEBA	ROBU	ALIORU VSLA WOMEN GROUP
84.	OLEBA	WOROGBO	ALIGO WOMEN ASSOCIATION
85.	OLEBA	WOROGBO	ALLA VSLA WOMEN GROUP
86.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	ADONGORO	ALIOWAKU WOMEN GROUP
87.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	ASIANZU WOMEN GROUP B
88.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	ALUMA WOMEN GROUP
89.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	BURA	MARKET CELL ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
90.	OLEBA	BURAMALI	KAMAKA ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
91.	OLUVU	MICHU	AMBAKU WOMEN GROUP
92.	OLUVU	MICHU	NYAMIO WOMEN GROUP
93.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	OKAPI	MUNGUSI WOMEN GROUP
94.	YIVU	OMBIA	MURRUM WOMEN GROUP
95.	OLUVU	RIKABU	RIKABU WOMEN GROUP
96.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	ADONGORO	CHRIST WOMEN GROUP
97.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	BURA CHURCH OF UGANDA W.G.
98.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	YELLOW WOMEN GROUP
99.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	AYIKO	BURA OPIDRI AMAECORA WOMEN GROUP
100.	OLEBA	BANGO	GBULUA WOMEN VSLA GROUP
101.	OLEBA	ETOKO	WANAWAKE GROUP
102.	YIVU	OKUVU	OCEMACENI AMBALA WOMEN GROUP
103.	NYADRI	ROBU	ALIVU B WOMEN GROUP
104.	TARA	VURA	IMANI WOMEN GROUP
105.	NYADRI	PABURA	ANYAFIO KISA WOMEN GROUP
106.	TARA	PAJAMA	LOLO WOMEN GROUP
107.	OLUVU	OMBACHI	NYIKIA ALIODROZU WOMEN GROUP
108.	OLUFFE	OTRAVU	GAGAA WOMEN GROUP
109.	OLUFFE	KAMAKA	AYIKORU WOMEN GROUP
110.	MARACHA TOWN COUNCIL	CENTRAL ZONE	OPILENI WOMEN GROUP
111.	TARA	VURA	EYONIZU WOMEN GROUP
112.	AJIRA	OJAPI	BARIA WOMEN GROUP