On a dazzling and sunlit Friday, February 28th, 2025, Action 4 Health Uganda joyfully commemorated the graduation of 15 remarkable young women from the transformative POWER program — Providing Opportunities for Women in Entrepreneurship and Reproductive Health. This vibrant occasion not only celebrated their achievements but also signified the culmination of the second Cohort 2024-2025, a milestone reached after the overwhelming success of the inaugural Cohort of 2022-2023, which paved the way for future generations of empowered women.
The spirited graduates showcased their innovative business ideas to an esteemed panel of judges, who attentively evaluated their presentations, drawn from the comprehensive training they had dedicated themselves to over the past six months. The judges included Sylvia Pimer, Youth Officer at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Dorothy Nakasaikya the Social Investment Fund Associate at Capital Solutions, and Sanyu Arthur Blick the Executive Director Anchors for Youth Africa (AYA).
The vibrant Demo Day honoured their hard work and symbolized a significant milestone in their entrepreneurial journeys. The top 5 POWER ladies received varying cash prizes while the other 10 were each awarded substantial seed capital of UGX 200,000. This money is to empower their ventures, enabling them to bring their ideas to life. The entrepreneurial aspirations span diverse sectors, including information and communication technology (ICT), menstrual hygiene management (MHM), food and nutrition, and more.
The judges meticulously scored each presentation, announcing the overall champion, whose remarkable performance during the training period and pitch secured her the coveted cash prize of UGX 1,000,000. This distinguished title was awarded to Najjemba Betty, the co-founder Malangala Cottage Factory that makes Makapads. This ground breaking initiative to end period poverty creates disposable sanitary products crafted from papyrus and recycled paper and sold at a friendly price of UGX 2,500 for a packet of 10 pads. It is found in Malangala Sub-County of Mityana District.
Nassolo Suzan from EverGrow Organics came second. EverGrow Organics is a social enterprise established in 2022 to provide organic fertilizers alongside family planning information, products, and services to smallholder farmers in Mityana district. It aims to improve their yields and enable them to make better and informed choices, working towards achieving SDGs 2 and 5—zero hunger and Gender Equality. This business is found in Mityana District.
Meanwhile, Nassolo Claire of Claire’s Bakery and Training Centre found in Wakiso District proudly claimed the third position. Established in 2023, Claire’s Bakery and Training Centre is a social enterprise dedicated to equipping young women and youths between 15 and 35 with SRH information and services, and bakery skills training, enabling them to build sustainable lives and make better health decisions towards achieving SGD 1,3, and 5.
In the fourth position was Nabaggala Sandra Sarah, the founder of Nature Delight Foods found in Wakiso District. This company exists to nurture children’s futures and enhance family health by offering nutritious porridge, empowering women of reproductive age with vital nutrition and sexual reproductive health education and equipping them to support their families’ well-being.
Kathryn Rhoda came in fifth with R-Jay Cleaning Services, an enterprise located in Wakiso District, that offers affordable and professional cleaning solutions to both commercial and residential clients while creating employment opportunities and skills training for single and teenage mothers.
Furthermore, the best coach received special recognition and a cash prize for their invaluable support and guidance throughout this inspiring journey. The outstanding coach, Ms. Sharon Natukunda, is also a beneficiary of the POWER program from Cohort I. Sharing her knowledge and skills with the young women of Cohort 2 was a delight.
The Director Public Health, Ministry of Uganda Dr. Daniel Kyabayinza was the guest of honor for the day and he emphasized the need to skill young women to enable them live empowered lives, especially free from gender based violence.
In her address, the C.E.O Action 4 Health Uganda Sarah Kintu enlightened attendees that the POWER program exists as an avenue to empower women to live fulfilled lives where they have charge of not only their health but also their economic wellbeing.
One of the participants of POWER Cohort II Suminiy Nansansi Founder of Young Youth and Women Initiative Network (YYOUWIN) shared her story:
“I was unemployed for a while and later decided to start a laundry business in my community to be able to earn a living, I then started making soap from my income which I would use to wash and also sell to community members. Now I also make body jelly. I thank Action 4 Health Uganda for equipping me with the necessary skills to better my life through the POWER program. Now I can take my business to greater heights but also teach other young women on how to begin their own social enterprises.”
POWER THUS FAR
The POWER (Providing Opportunities for Women in Entrepreneurship & Reproductive Health) pilot was an initiative that aimed at developing an accelerator program to nurture and grow women social entrepreneurs towards the development of sustainable businesses in the fields of family planning and sexual reproductive health and rights (FP/SRHR), with a focus on the ICT sector. The pilot was at Bonita Training Center at Action 4 Health Uganda’s head offices in Lubowa, with training provided by a local facilitating organization, Capital Solutions Limited, experienced in entrepreneurship development.
According to the Uganda Vision 2040, Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world, with nearly half of them aged below 15 years due to a historically high and constant fertility rate of about 6.7 children per woman. According to the National Policy Guidelines and Service Standards for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 2006, the components of SRHR are Safe Motherhood; Family Planning; Adolescent Health; Prevention and Management of Adolescent ill-health, RH tract infections including STI/HIV/AIDS, infertility, reproductive organ cancers; menopause, obstetric fistulae, gender issues (gender-based violence and female genital mutilation.
The first cohort of young women-in-health innovators kicked off in August 2022. This batch saw the successful onboarding of 12 young women entrepreneurs in the POWER accelerator program, with a 92% completion rate, i.e., 11 young women out of 12 completed the program successfully.
The ladies underwent six months of in-person and online training, three days each month spent at Bonita Training Centre at the Action 4 Health Uganda offices from August 2022 to January 2023. This was supplemented with online training and mentorships on a one-on-one basis during the month, making a total of six days each month. The course was specifically designed to provide enough space for each entrepreneur to work independently on advancing their start-up and to build/leverage their networks. The course coordinators were also on hand throughout the month to assist each entrepreneur as needed.
During this period, the ladies had field exposure visits to three organizations to support their learning, networking, and knowledge sharing for innovation.
An alumni network was established to maintain a steady flow of communication with the ladies, especially after their graduation.
Following the success of the project, a third Cohort was launched in March 2025 in partnership with Makerere University School of Public Health and SIHI (Social Innovation in Health Initiative).
We look forward to the continued success of the POWER accelerator program and the impact on the ladies and their communities and country at large.
MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE EVENT:
New Vision Publication:
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/domestic-violence-health-ministry-raises-flag-NV_206415
RADIO
- Capital FM: 2. Galaxy FM:
