Hundreds of women in Lira City and the Lango sub-region on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, surprised the Minister of Labour, Gender, and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi Akena, with various gifts from women groups in their respective districts. They praised her for considering Lango sub-region businesswomen in the GROW project.
This event took place during the launch of the GROW project in Lira City, covering the entire Lango Sub-region. The launch was officiated by Hon. Minister Betty Amongi Akena at Mayor’s Garden, where businesswomen exhibited their products in large numbers.
“My message to the women is that this program is for local businesswomen. This program is a Government of Uganda initiative and is demand-driven,” said Hon. Minister Amongi.
After inspecting the exhibition by various women’s groups, who displayed their products to the private sector, GROW project team, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, Minister Amongi rallied women with successful businesses in the nine districts and Lira City in the Lango sub-region to embrace the GROW project.
The Minister was accompanied by Amolatar Woman MP, Hon. Agness Atim Apea, Lira District Woman MP, Hon. Auma Linda Agness, Mayor Sam Atul, among other dignitaries.
Lira Woman MP, Hon. Agness Linda Auma, representing the women of Lango sub-region, requested the GROW project team to facilitate easier loan processing for women in Lango. She praised Minister Amongi Betty for her inclusive approach and hard work for the government of Uganda and the Wanainchi in Lango sub-region.
She urged people not to politicize the project, emphasizing that it is a government initiative led by H.E Yoweri Museveni, the cabinet, and the Ministry of Labour, Gender, and Social Development.
Hon. Apea expressed gratitude for Minister Amongi Betty’s positive vision for women in business, urging women in Lango, especially in Amolatar district, to be part of the project.
The Mayor of Lira City Council, Sam Atul, emphasized unity in Lango to combat poverty. He suggested considering a single commercial activity or crop for the region, cautioning against forming groups solely for personal benefit but for business purposes.
According to Amongi Betty, the capital for women will be provided as a grant from the World Bank, under the leadership of H.E Gen. Yoweri Museveni Kaguta, the cabinet of Uganda, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development. About 800 billion shillings, equivalent to 217 million dollars, was released by the World Bank to support the project in Uganda.
Minister Amongi commended Makerere University and Gulu University for contributing land for productivity centers. She urged women in business to utilize this opportunity for accessing cheap capital, emphasizing the need for organization to access various government funds.
A total of 60,000 women-owned enterprises are set to access finance through the GROW (Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity For Women) project, according to Asiimwe Alex, the Commissioner of Labor, Industrial Relations, and Productivity in the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development.
Asiimwe called on businesswomen to organize themselves to benefit from the project. Minister Amongi highlighted plans to reach all businesswomen in the country and encouraged online marketing for them to access international markets.
Minister Amongi Betty commended H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda, the cabinet, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development for approving the grant from the World Bank.
A woman from Teso Bar in Lira City, preferring anonymity, expressed gratitude to H.E the President and Hon. Minister Amongi Betty for uplifting ordinary businesswomen in the socio-economic transformation of modern life.
Hon. Aduku Caro Gloria, the councilor representing the people of Lira City West “B” in Lira City Council, stated that Hon. Minister Amongi Betty was sent by God to liberate Lango sub-region from poverty, particularly Lira City.
