By Ambrose Gahene,
KAMPALA
Over 800 micro and small entrepreneurs have registered growth in business enterprises after training on SEE Change, an initiative of John Hopkins University in partnership with Enterprise Uganda, MasterCard Foundation Uganda, Investors Club, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and Makerere University among others.
During release of the training findings at Kampala Protea Hotel on Wednesday, Charles Ocici, Enterprise Uganda Executive Director, said the entrepreneurs were trained on mindset change, as the backbone of success in business entrepreneurship. He said mindset change is about empowering entrepreneurs with skills to excel in customer satisfaction and excellent competition to attract customers to buy one’s products.
“What customers look for is value for their money, not how you are related to them”, he said. He said Enterprise Uganda and partners have so far trained Ugandan entrepreneurs to excel in business ventures for now close to 25 years.
Dr. Anita Shankar, an associate scientist, department of international studies at John Hopkins University, said SEE Change training has helped to eradicate poverty in communities across Uganda.
“Over 80 percent of jobs globally, including Uganda, are micro and small enterprises”, she said.
Paul Spurzem, also a SEE Change trainer from John Hopkins University, said participants in the training were randomly selected from six districts of Uganda. He explained that a shift in mindset change means seeing your business in a new way.
“Over 800 micro and small enterprises SEE Change training participants were drawn from Kampala, Jinja, Hoima and Mbarara and Fort Portal”. He said upon completion of the training, participants reported registering high profits in their business enterprises due to skills acquired.
Mr. Richard Jabo, Head of Economic Development, Policy and Research in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, pointed out that; its important Ugandan entrepreneurs receive regular training on financial literacy.
“Government is committed to support the private sector to compete regionally and globally”
“Poverty can only be eradicated through collaboration between Government and the private sector”, he said.
