Meet the Zena
Graduates
The Zena Launchpad’s impact extends far beyond the women who join our programme. Each graduate not only pulls herself out of poverty but also helps uplift her family, her employees, and her community. With each woman hiring an average of one additional employee, we are fostering a community-driven model of change. Zena women are not the beneficiaries, they are the benefactors.
Salima’s Story
Salima heard about the Zena training program and was really keen to join, arriving early for her interview. Her plan was to start a laundry business in Kamuli, serving the local hotels.
At the time, Salima was struggling to afford food for her baby. She took in people’s laundry to hand wash, earning just enough to get by. But times were very hard, and when her baby was sick it was difficult to afford medicine.
The Zena program gave Salima the skills, confidence and hope she needed to put her plan into action. She launched her business soon after graduating and was the first woman in Kamuli to own a laundry business. A few months later she was taking in laundry from one of the biggest hotels in Kamuli! She now employs one woman full time, and offers part-time work for several other women in the community. She is hoping to open branches in other towns. Salima has recently bought a plot of land and some cattle with her savings and she’s planning to branch out into agriculture in the future.
Now Salima is able to provide for her child. He goes to one of the best primary schools in Kamuli and Salima is confident that she can pay for his education right up to university, so that he can get a good job. Recently she bought him a bicycle with her own money, something she never thought she’d be able to do.
Salima also helps another family to pay school fees for their two daughters. She hopes that girls can access education and opportunities to create a better community.
“My child is now living a better life. I had no hope that my child would ever go to school but he is now going to school, getting the necessary medication when he is sick. I believe that he will study up to the university level if he wants that and get a well paying job”
— Salima
Lydia’s Story
Lydia learned to make tamarind juice from her mother. When she joined Zena, Lydia’s dream was to start a fruit and vegetable processing business, specialising in tamarind fruit drink.
Lydia was living with her mother and grandmother and supporting them both, as well as caring for her children. Her marriage had broken down and she had no income. It was a challenge to pay for food, clothing, healthcare and schooling. At Zena, Lydia developed the skills she needed to get her business off the ground. She launched soon after graduating.
Lydia’s tamarind juice is now fully certified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. This was a costly and lengthy process but this official confirmation of the safety and quality of her product is important for her business. She has worked hard on marketing: she gave out free samples, advertised on radio, and even used a public address system to spread the word.
Lydia was named one of the 100 Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs by Ideation Corner at their 2024 Women Entrepreneurship Celebration! She now sells her products in three districts, to individuals and wholesalers, and has plans to expand even further. She employs two permanent employees and two part-time employees.
Lydia can now take care of her family’s needs, as well as providing local employment and sharing the knowledge and skills she has learned with others.
I am forever grateful to this program for the way it changed my life. For me, the program gave my life a new meaning.
— Harriet
Here’s how you can support our graduates
Donate
By supporting The Zena Launchpad, you are helping women build businesses, create jobs, and lift their communities out of poverty. Your donation helps fund education, mentorship, and safe working spaces for the next generation of female entrepreneurs.
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Purchase jewelry made by a Zena woman.