Young entrepreneurs across Uganda are rewriting their futures through the power of financial literacy and access to capital. With support from Equity Bank Uganda and the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, youth are turning modest ideas into sustainable businesses.
The program, which aims to empower 4.3 million young Ugandans by 2030 especially women, refugees, and people with disabilities is already reshaping lives and livelihoods.
In communities like Chitwe, Fort Portal, Nakivale, Rhino Camp, and Isingiro, personal stories reflect a common journey: a transition from financial confusion to entrepreneurial confidence. One woman from the Chitwe Youth Farmers Group shared, “I ran a hairdressing business without tracking sales or expenses. I made no profit.” A Fort Portal farmer added, “I didn’t know the value of money, so I mishandled it.”
Financial literacy training provided by Equity Bank Uganda changed the game. From 2021 to 2023, thousands of youth participated in workshops on budgeting, inventory control, and separating personal from business finances. These practical skills proved transformative. “I learned to record income, track inventory, and separate funds,” said the Chitwe entrepreneur. The Fort Portal farmer echoed this, explaining how training enabled him to invest wisely and manage a loan successfully.
In Nakivale, members of the No Empire Women Empowerment Association overcame internal challenges by adopting group budgeting and proper record-keeping. “We now set clear financial goals and manage our finances as a team,” a group leader shared. Their success sparked ventures in tailoring, digital literacy, basket weaving, and mushroom farming.
Access to capital followed. Through Equity Bank’s group lending model which requires no collateral youth received loans between UGX 2 million and UGX 5 million. These funds catalyzed major changes. One Fort Portal farmer used his loan to grow businesses in agriculture, electronics, and mobile money, while also funding his university education.
A single mother in Chitwe expanded her salon and launched poultry and goat-rearing enterprises. “I put my children in better schools and improved our lifestyle,” she said.
In Isingiro, Misha Dan of Detroit Farmers Group used a UGX 600,000 loan to revive her salon and start a poultry business. “Before the training, I blamed witchcraft,” she said with a smile. Now, she mentors other women and leads six subgroups. In Rhino Camp, a youth group trained 56 members 43 of them women in bakery and catering, using loans to kickstart small businesses.
The impact is multiplying. In Fort Portal, success stories led to the formation of new savings groups. In Nakivale, a soap-making factory emerged. In Rhino Camp, increased youth employment has reduced idleness and related social challenges. These shifts are rooted in consistent training, affordable financing, and a shared vision for inclusive growth.
Still, challenges persist. Youth leaders are calling for ongoing mentorship, refresher training sessions, and increased loan limits, arguing that the current UGX 5 million cap is insufficient for groups with diverse business needs.
The results speak for themselves. “I’m self-employed and proud,” said the Fort Portal farmer. Across Uganda, young people are no longer waiting for change they are creating it, one skill, one loan, and one business at a time.
