Sparked Women Project

Creating Opportunities, Building Independence

The Problem:

For many young women in rural Uganda, poverty, unemployment, gender inequality, and limited access to income opportunities increase vulnerability and affect their health, well-being, and future choices. These challenges are also important drivers of HIV risk among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW), who account for a significant share of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Solution:

The Sparked Women Project (Local Business Solutions for Better Health) was designed as a solution to these challenges through economic empowerment and community health systems strengthening.

The project supported young women and girls to become micro-entrepreneurs by setting up sustainable micro-businesses to increase their income and improve access to community health services. Increased income improves self-esteem and decreases young women’s chance of sexual risk-taking behavior, such as transactional sex, and improves health-seeking behavior.

From Skills to Opportunities

The Sparked Women Project aimed to reduce new HIV infections among young women by addressing one of the underlying challenges that can increase their vulnerability: unemployment and limited economic opportunities.
Through a practical and cost-effective livelihood model, young girls and women received training in eight easy-to-start and locally relevant income skills, including:

  • Notebook making
  • Reusable sanitary pad production
  • Sandal making
  • Fruit juice production
  • Paper bag making
  • Cake making
  • Other locally relevant livelihood skills

These young girls and women also received training in basic business management and marketing, helping them turn their skills into viable micro-businesses.

What Changed

Across six districts in Central Uganda, the Sparked Women Project helped women turn practical skills into new opportunities, stronger livelihoods, and greater economic independence for themselves.

18,636

Young girls and women trained and equipped with business and livelihood skills

6,877

Female-led micro-businesses started as a source of income and livelihood

37%

Replicated the skills for home consumption and better livelihoods

46%

Of the participants reported livelihood improvements as a result of the business and livelihood skills learned

A Future Sparked by Opportunity

Through the Sparked Women Project, thousands of young women in rural Uganda were supported to take the first step towards building livelihoods, strengthening their economic independence, and creating opportunities that could continue long after the project ended. Female-led small businesses contributed to their economic independence and confidence, which led to stronger decision-making and a healthier future.

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sparked Women Project contributed to:

Implemented by five partners, including Aidsfonds, Healthy Entrepreneurs, Sawa World, International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA), and National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), and funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),