Uganda | Women's Empowerment International

Mariat | Uganda

Apr 29, 2025 | News, Uganda, Women Stories

From Struggle to Success Through Microfinance

Meet Ahimbisibwe Mariat, a 60-year-old grandmother from the Rukungiri District in Uganda. Mariat’s journey from financial struggle to successful, small business owner demonstrates the profound impact that financial inclusion and training can have on families experiencing poverty.

“Before joining the Kigiro granny group, I struggled to meet the basic needs of my family such as paying for my two grandchildren’s primary school fees, aged 5 and 10. I had no stable sources of income and lacked business skills and knowledge.”

The turning point came when she joined Nyaka’s grandmother support program, which receives funding from a WE grant. Through this initiative, Mariat received comprehensive training in financial literacy and business management. She also received a UGX 500,000 loan (approximately $139 USD) from WE funds. Applying the financial knowledge and skills gained from the Nyaka grandmother team training, Mariat established a small retail shop in Ikuniro Trading Centre in Rukungiri district.

The results have been remarkable. Through diligent application of her savings and bookkeeping knowledge, Mariat’s business has flourished. She now earns a monthly profit of UGX 100,000 (approximately $28 USD) and has increased her savings to UGX 2,000,000 in capital (approximately $545 USD).

“Thanks to Women’s Empowerment funds, my dreams have become a reality, and I can now pay school fees for my two grandchildren and provide for basic needs, while repaying my business loan. I am deeply grateful to Nyaka and Women’s Empowerment for this opportunity.”

About Nyaka:
Nyaka, WE partner since 2014, works with communities to nurture and protect children so they can learn, grow, and thrive. WE supports Nyaka’s Grandmother program, which recognizes the critical role grandmothers play in caregiving, while addressing issues including gender-based violence and poverty through microloans and comprehensive training.

With WE’s support, the number of grandmothers accessing microfinancing, training, and ongoing support increases each year. These remarkable women have significantly improved household incomes and their grandchildren’s wellbeing, maintained children’s school attendance, and developed valuable financial literacy skills.

The program demonstrates exceptional impact: for every $40 invested in a grandmother-led household through this program, there is a 285% return within just 36 months—proof that supporting grandmothers like Mariat creates sustainable, multi-generational change.

Betty | Uganda

Mar 5, 2024 | Uganda, Women Stories

Betty, a resilient 71-year-old from Kyamagote village in Kanungu District, has transformed her life against all odds. Living with her two grandchildren, aged 7 and 10, who were left behind by her daughter in pursuit of employment, Betty became a beacon of inspiration through the support of a UGX 400,000 loan (~$105) from WE grant funds.

With a keen entrepreneurial spirit, Betty invested the funds in kickstarting a goat-keeping project. The initial purchase of a single goat turned into a resounding success, as it gave birth to twins and then triplets within a year. Betty’s small investment snowballed into six goats, and the subsequent generations have not only provided her with valuable manure for her thriving vegetable gardens but have also bolstered her banana plantation.

Betty, pictured proudly with her goats, expressed profound gratitude to WE for not only facilitating the repayment of the loan but also for empowering her to achieve self- sufficiency. Leveraging the income from her banana plantation and other farm produce like sugarcane, Betty’s entrepreneurial spirit has flourished. She now owns nine goats, estimated at a remarkable UGX 1,100,000, signaling a substantial improvement in her socio-economic status.

Betty’s story is a testament to the transformative power of targeted financial assistance, breaking the chains of adversity and fostering economic empowerment. Her journey vividly demonstrates the profound impact that strategic support can have on socio-economic well-being, particularly in hard-to-reach communities. Betty stands as a living example of resilience, entrepreneurship, and the potential for positive change in the face of challenges.

Georgia | Uganda

Jul 30, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Uganda, Women Stories

Meet Georgia K., a resilient 58-year-old widow from Burandami village in Uganda. She is the caregiver of her four grandchildren, aged between 7 months and 10 years, as her daughter left them to search for a job but then never returned. Despite facing adversity, Georgia found hope through a loan of 500,000UGX (~$139) from Nyaka’s Grandmother Program, supported by WE funds.

With this loan, Georgia invested in her long-cherished dream of starting a goat-keeping project. The goat she bought gave birth to twins twice, rapidly increasing her goat herd to five within a year. Georgia sold three goats and purchased a calf, which has grown into a healthy cow. The cow also gave birth to a calf, adding to her growing livestock.

Georgia’s ingenuity didn’t stop there. She strategically uses goat manure to enrich her vegetable garden and banana plantation, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious food for herself and her grandchildren. Moreover, she enjoys a regular income from milk sales, providing her grandchildren with fresh milk.

Thanks to the support of WE funds, Georgia’s standard of living has significantly improved, earning her admiration and respect within her community. With determination and hard work, she repaid her loan from the income generated by her milk sales and banana plantation.

Today, Georgia’s assets include five goats valued at 1,000,000UGX (~$278) and two cows worth 2,700,000UGX (~$750). Grateful to Nyaka and WE, she proclaims, “Because of the loan I received, I am able to provide for my grandchildren.”

Georgia is an active member of the Kanungu Southern Ward Granny Group, soon to graduate from receiving revolving funds from Nyaka, marking another milestone in her inspiring journey of empowerment.

About Nyaka:

Uganda continues to face challenges such as a fragile economy affected by the Ebola outbreak, violence, and harsh weather conditions, which also affected agriculture and food access. Nyaka works with communities to nurture and protect children, so they can learn, grow, and thrive. WE supports its Grandmother program, which assists in caregiving, subverting sexual-based violence, and helping the grannies increase their earnings through microloans and investments. With WE support, the number of grandmothers with access to microfinancing, trainings, and support increases each year. These grannies have increased their household income and the economic wellbeing of their grandchildren, kept the children in school, and increased their own financial literacy. For every $40 invested into a grandmother-led household, there is a 285% return on investment within 36 months.

Norah | Uganda

Feb 14, 2023 | Featured News/ Events, Our Impact Page, Uganda, Women Stories

Norah K. from Uganda

A story of resilience & perseverance

Norah K., 72, lives in Nyamirama subcounty in southwestern Uganda and is a member of the Kigarama Granny Group, coordinated and supported by WE grant partner, Nyaka. She operates a retail shop at Karonde Trading Centre and takes care of two grandchildren. The children belong to Norah’s daughter, who left them under their grandmother’s care after giving birth to them at an early age. Norah’s daily routine begins at 6AM with chores, after which she prepares pancakes and popcorn for sale. Norah also packs some pancakes and popcorn as a snack for school for her grandchildren. Through the pandemic, her snack sales fell due to school closures and an increase in competition.

Through her retail business, however, (which is supported by microloans from the granny group) Norah has been able to:

Start a poultry project in which she sells eggs and hens to supplement her shop sales
Pay casual laborers who work on her gardens
Be in a position to always restock her shop
Become more financially independent, not depending on her children for financial survival, while meeting her scholastic needs of her grandchildren.

In the future, she dreams of seeing her business grow and compete successfully with other retail shops in her trading center, starting a goat farm, and building a permanent structure for her shop, which she hopes will be her legacy. Women like Norah in Nyaka’s Grandmothers program face many challenges on a daily basis, experiencing poverty and extreme poverty, working to overcome their situations and gain their independence, send their grandchildren to school, and enable them to thrive. They are strong, resilient, and empowered, working to build a reality where they and their grandchildren can dream big and achieve their goals.

Jane K. | Uganda

Jun 28, 2022 | Uganda, Women Stories

Jane, 62, belongs to a Nyaka Grandmother group in the Kanungu district of Uganda, which WE supports with funding for their microfinance program. Jane cares for three grandchildren, two of whom are from her son who passed away. She operates a small restaurant at a bus stop stage. She prepares breakfast and lunch for the boda (motorcycle riders) who park next to her restaurant. With a recent loan of 700,000 UGX (approximately $188), she was able to pay rent on the verandah space and acquire some materials like sauce pans, utensils, and food supplies. During the COVID-19 lockdown throughout the country, her business suffered with fewer motorists as customers.

Now, with things opening up again, she wakes up at 5:30 every morning to go to the restaurant and start preparing the meals. Her daily sales are now up to almost $19/day, and she has been able to send all of her grandchildren to school, pay back her loan, and rear and sell pigs at home to boost her income. She is working hard to grow her business, so she can acquire a plot of land of her own for the restaurant and become a landlord herself, charging rent to others.

Your support represents a chance for women like Jane to create her own opportunities and has a life-changing impact for generations to come.

Peace | Uganda

Apr 7, 2022 | Uganda

Meet Peace from Uganda
Peace, 57, lives in Katojo village, in the western Uganda Kanungu district. She lives with her two grandchildren, Tukamushaba Sheilah (10) and Nahurira Violah (7), who she became caregiver for after her daughter passed away.

Peace participates in a WE-funded microfinance program with our partner, Nyaka. She was lucky to have acquired tailoring skills, and she borrowed 500,000UGX (Ugandan Shillings; approximately $139) from her granny group to buy a sewing machine. The money was not enough, so she sold her piglets to pay for the balance.

Peace is diabetic, so some of her profits from her tailored clothes must go to her medical bills instead of back into her business, thus slowing the growth of her business to the heights it could potentially reach. However, she is always able to make payments on the loan in time. She is well known in her community for her expertise in tailoring, and schools from nearby engage her in making uniforms. Peace has also continued to rear pigs, which adds to her income and helps pay for fees so she can see her grandchildren through school. She says her elder grandchild dreams of becoming a doctor and the youngest dreams of becoming a teacher. She is optimistic that with her participation in the microfinance program, their dreams will be fulfilled.

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