Strengthening Livelihoods through Women’s Entrepreneurship

In this session of our Gender Community of Practice, we explored the transformative role of women-led entrepreneurship in building sustainable livelihoods.

This event spotlighted initiatives advancing economic inclusion and empowering women in Ghana and Uganda.

We welcomed Jennifer Fletcher from Care for Uganda, who shared lessons from their work with Abakyala Abakola (“working women”) in the Luwero District, just north of Kampala, Uganda. Through access to equipment, training and information sessions on key gender issues, Care for Uganda is supporting rural women’s enterprise groups to strengthen their income-generating activities and achieve financial independence.

We also heard from Akmal Hanuk of Assadaquaat Community Finance (ACF) and Gifty Volimkarime, founder and CEO of the Centre of Entrepreneurship Evaluation & Development (CEED) in Ghana. Together, they explored the systemic challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in Ghana and how ACF’s Entrepreneurship Programme and their digital skills initiative, is supporting women to grow resilient, scalable businesses.

Speakers

Chair: Stephen Garrett

Stephen Garrett is trained in active listening and conflict resolution, which play a valuable role in his mentoring work, for example with Social Business Wales and with the EGIN programme, supporting communities to tackle climate change. He spent ten years as an Enterprise Tutor with Cardiff University’s ‘Live Local, Learn Local’ programme and has mentored with the Wales Co-operative Centre and Big Ideas Wales, inspiring young people to become social entrepreneurs.

Stephen holds an MSc in Urban Agriculture from Cardiff University. Alongside his work with developing local food systems in Wales he has supported women’s organisations in Zimbabwe and Uganda to set up rural food production/marketing cooperatives, and to deliver a Women’s Rights Advocacy Project to end domestic violence . He is also involved with a youth hub organisation in Western Uganda that trains young people who were formerly living on the streets to become professional musicians and dancers.

Akmal Hanuk

Founder and Chief Executive of Assadaqaat Community Finance (ACF) UK.

With a passion for advancing entrepreneurship among marginalized communities, Akmal leads this innovative not-for-profit organization dedicated to financially empowering the less privileged through entrepreneurship.

Drawing from his global experiences, he has held pivotal board-level positions across public, private, and corporate sectors. Presently, Akmal serves as an independent member of Welsh Water, Glas Cymru Holdings Cyfyngedig, and extends his expertise as a University Business Tutor at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University.

Gifty Volimkarime Kuug

Founder & Managing Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Evaluation Development (CEED) Ghana

Gifty Volimkarime Kuug is a seasoned social development practitioner with over 20 years of experience spanning the private sector, public institutions, and international development. As the Founder and Managing Director of CEED Ghana, she has worked extensively across sub-Saharan Africa, fostering inclusive economic growth with a focus on youth empowerment, gender equality, entrepreneurship, and impact measurement.

Her work is grounded in building strategic partnerships with governments, donor agencies, and civil society organizations to drive sustainable development. 

Gifty has led major initiatives in collaboration with global and regional institutions such as UNICEF, WFP, World Bank, USAID, Global Affairs Canada, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (Ghana), among others.

Jennifer Fletcher

Chief Executive Officer of Care for Uganda

Jennifer Fletcher has over 25 years of experience in international development and civil society, with roles in the Welsh Government, UK Office for National Statistics, and NGOs. She has supported African partnerships through the Wales and Africa programme, led training and a grant programme at Hub Cymru Africa, and worked for a private grant-giving foundation. At the grassroots level, she has been an English teacher in Zambia (with Voluntary Service Overseas), and later coordinated grant-funded health projects for the Welsh PONT-Mbale link. She now heads the Welsh NGO Care for Uganda, focusing on education, health, and livelihoods in Luwero District.