GROW Women Borrowers Urged to Invest Wisely, Build Sustainable Enterprises

What the report says

Women entrepreneurs enrolled in the World Bank-funded Generating Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises, or GROW, project have been urged to use borrowed money carefully and channel it into activities that can help their businesses grow over time. The guidance was delivered in Kampala during a DFCU-GROW Women Borrowers Engagement session, according to SoftPower News.

The event focused on helping borrowers strengthen their enterprises beyond the initial financing stage. Participants were encouraged to treat the funds as a tool for expansion rather than short-term spending, and to take advantage of the training and mentorship linked to the program. The aim, as presented in the report, is to improve the sustainability and productivity of women-led businesses.

SoftPower News framed the message as part of broader efforts under the GROW initiative to support women-owned enterprises in Uganda. The project combines access to finance with business development support, which is intended to address common barriers faced by women entrepreneurs, including limited capital and gaps in managerial skills.

The reminder to invest wisely matters because loan-backed programs can only have lasting impact if businesses generate enough returns to repay borrowing and continue operating. More broadly, such initiatives are often used to promote formal entrepreneurship and economic inclusion, especially for women seeking to expand small and growing enterprises.