By Isaac Akugizibwe
National
340000 women from selected districts in SouthWest and Northern Uganda will benefit from the Deliver Women’s Economic Resilience through Enterprise and Market Systems (DREAMS) project ,launched by CARE on Wednesday,26th July 2023 at Mestil hotel in Kampala.
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ,DREAMS is a three year Women’s Economic Empowerment (WWE) Project that started on 1st November 2022,with an overall goal of strengthening the economic resilience of 340,000 Women through gender transformative Women’s Economic Empowerment policies, enterprise growth and accessible market systems.
Apollo B.Gabazira,the Country director,Care International disclosed that they have been working with the government of Uganda on several projects and that DREAMS project is also meant to provide technical support to Government projects like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and GROW on matters to do with gender.
“DREAMS project will provide technical assistance to enable Parish Development Model (PDM) and GROW programs to become gender transformative by supporting them to target women as equal participants and beneficiaries,give women equal voice and participation in all activities, ensure women have equal access to and control over program benefits and results as well as embed tested enterprise growth, financial and digital inclusion models,” he explained.
“Additionally, DREAMS will directly increase financial autonomy of 20,000 Women through developing and testing innovative enterprise growth, financial and digital inclusion models.”
A number of Organisations have joined hands with CARE International to ensure the success of the DREAMS project. According to Gabazira,these partners include among others,the ministry of gender,Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic development,Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority and Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association.
In her speech as guest of honour read by the state minister in charge of Youth and child Affairs,shortly before the official launch, Betty Amongi Ongom, the minister of gender Labour and Social Development expressed confidence in the DREAMS project and appreciated CARE International for working towards transforming livelihoods in Uganda.
“I am confident that this project will have a fruitful impact on the lives of Women and girls in this country especially in recognising their full economic potential,” she said.
Dr.Angella Nakafeero, a commissioner in charge of gender at the ministry of gender Labour and Social Development said she had been fascinated and highly motivated by the acronym DREAMS.
“I loved the word DREAMS at first sight and as a ministry ,our pleasure is in creating millions of a Martin Luther king Jr who can say, “I have a dream.”
‘Once the journey of dreaming is achieved,we would have achieved a lot,” she said.
It is hoped that the project will enable increased income for 320,000 Women through the implementation of Gender Transformative National Women Economic Empowerment policies, regulations and programs.
It is also projected to enable Access to Finance for 20,000 Women Entrepreneurs through innovative and Gender Transformative Enterprise growth,Access to Finance and Digital inclusion
