Dfcu Bank Uganda has embarked on a skills training campaign for the first cohort of 30 women-owned Agribusiness on modern farming practices in areas of value addition and efficient management.
The trainings kicked off yesterday at dfcu bank head offices in Nakasero. Participants are expected to pick key skills from knowledge-sharing sessions which are both practical and theoretical.
Also known as Business Accelerator Program, the initiative will run for a period of four months and will involve comprehensive trainings for women on how to leverage modern technology driven management practices to realize the multiplication of the fruits of their sweat in their agricultural endeavors.
Held under the theme “We are here to support you”, the trainings will be masterminded by experienced Agribusiness advisors in different regions of Uganda with a prime aim of supporting several Agribusiness to become self sufficient and minimize high attrition rates.
The official training which was launched in August in partnership with Agribusiness Development Center (ADC) targets an overwhelming number of about 350 women.
Ruth Asasira, the Manager for Women in Business and Special Programs at dfcu bank says under the first cohort of the Business Accelerator Program, they have started training women on how to transform from subsistence to commercial farming, then to business management techniques after which the initiative will be extended to men.
“In this program that we are jointly executing with Agribusiness Development Center, we intend to improve agriculture based businesses, we have understood that these agribusiness undertakings are marred by very many challenges,” said Asasira.
She added, “So the prime aim of this training is to see to it that we aid different individuals venturing in Agribusiness, so as to equip them with skills on how to execute and manage these ventures.”
Nevertheless, 40% of the beneficiaries under the businesses Accelerator Program will be women-led, with the objective of making them self sufficient and linking them to financing and markets.
William Sekabembe the Chief Commercial Officer at dfcu in his remarks said the bank has a long history of supporting services, products and partnerships with local businesses.
“dfcu has made investments in capacity building programs that are customized to address the unique challenges commonly faced by women entrepreneurs. We have also created opportunities and access to funding,” said Sekabembe.
“When dfcu Bank set up the Agribusiness Development Center, our goal was creating self sufficiency. 40% of businesses under Business Accelerator Program which we launched in August will be women-owned. The impact we will achieve is immeasurable,” he added.
The Businesses Accelerator Program which was launched in August by dfcu bank in close collaboration with ADC aims to heighten women empowerment in business through equipping them with competencies like financial management skills, networking, transparent leadership, negotiation, marketing and customer service among others.
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