Background
The Powerful Means Initiative partners with communities and organizations to create solutions for the world's most vulnerable populations. In Northern Uganda, where the multidimensional poverty rate is estimated to be as high as 90%, PMI is working with St. Bakhita Vocational Training Center (SBVTC) to provide young women with education and support to help them succeed. A core goal of the partnership with SBVTC is to empower young women. Students receive work-study scholarships and collaborate with Notre Dame (ND) students throughout their one-year training program.
In the 2024 graduating class, students worked with ND students in an Innovation & Design Thinking class to identify community needs and develop business ideas. 24 of these graduates were chosen for the inaugural PMI Impact Incubator program. As part of their participation, they provided proof of a rental space for their business. The students and their parents signed an agreement committing to repay 50% of the value of their startup kit and to participate in regular training sessions.
9 Month Summary
The Powerful Means Initiative has continued to make strides in the past three months in the ongoing management of the Incubator. Key activities during this third phase have been ongoing followup interviews, data collection and evaluation, and considering potential improvements to better support the participants.
Achievements and Progress:
Saving Habits: All 12 participants reached are actively making daily, weekly, and monthly savings through their various Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups. Most of these participants expect that year-end disbursements will enable them to fully pay off the loan.
Business Growth: Three participants have done particularly well and have demonstrated steady growth, resulting in the distribution of a smartphone to support enhanced and expanded business operations.
Challenges:
Repayment Avoidance: More participants have become unreachable, indicating potential avoidance of loan repayments.
External Factors: A few entrepreneurs have temporarily or permanently closed their businesses due to health challenges, marriages or relocations.
These learnings have generated several recommendations for improving the Impact Incubator. Communication remains a key area for opportunity, as the program looks to facilitate more conversations with the families of the participants, as well as between participants. Similarly, cooperative businesses provide a potential opportunity for cost-sharing between participants. Notre Dame students on the upcoming winter break immersion trip will leverage these learnings – and generate new insights – to refine the 2026 incubator structure.