SBIL Concludes Training for Women-Led Green Enterprises

• SBIL completed the training for the first batch under its Green Transformation Project
• This project supports women-led businesses working on green and eco-friendly solutions
• Business plans were shared by over 32 women-led enterprises

The Stanbic Business Incubator Limited has completed training for the first cohort of the Green Businesses and Jobs for the Green Transformation Project, an initiative designed to support women-led enterprises involved in environmental sustainability.

Over 32 green businesses led by women presented their proposals on how they would improve access to finance to enhance operational efficiency and further increase their environmental contribution.

Implemented in cooperation with GIZ Germany’s development cooperation agency and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, this project is implemented in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

It pursues improving women's economic participation while underpinning an increasingly greener regional economy. The wider WE4D programme is financed by the Government of Norway and the European Union.

Some of the areas of focus in the Stanbic GIZ collaboration include increasing training opportunities for women and enterprises working in areas such as renewable energy, circular economy, waste management, blue economy, ecotourism, and sustainable agriculture.

The two-year programme comprises four cohorts of classroom training, workshops, field visits, and coaching.

According to Fatumah Kayaga Ntanzi, the GIZ Programme Coordinator at SBIL, the 32 participating businesses completed the phase and presented to a panel of judges, who assessed their understanding of the training content, readiness to apply it, and commitment to improving their enterprises.

The participants enhanced their financial literacy, developed practical business skills, and investigated sustainable growth approaches appropriate for the green economy over the two-month training period.

Governance practices, value chain development, and tools that enable participants to reduce operational costs were also introduced.

Fatumah added that the program was intensive and hands-on, supported by training from Regenerate Africa and exposure visits to companies such as Sumz Food Industries. The next stage involves linking the SMEs to financing opportunities and potential investors, including venture capital firms.

According to Charles Kabiswa, the Team Lead and Executive Director at Regenerate Africa, the training of the 200 women-led SMEs has been a joint effort, adding that the adoption of greener business models is on the rise in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, and waste management.

Participants also shared encouraging feedback: Veronica Nandugwa Brenda, CEO of Yoola Kasasilo, said the programme encouraged her to go national and get government certification, citing plans for developing a large-scale composting system.

Dr. Proscovia Athieno, Founder of Aroza Group Limited, shared that her company learned practical ways of reducing carbon emission, through bettering efficiency in energy use, conserving water, and offering strengthened community impact.