By Alfred Opio
PALLISA — More than 300 youths from across Pallisa District have benefited from a digital business and financial literacy training aimed at equipping entrepreneurs with modern skills in record keeping, financial management, and market access.
The training brought together participants from all sub-counties of the district, with women making up the majority of attendees. According to organizers, 60 percent of the participants were female youth, 30 percent male youth, while 10 percent were youth living with disabilities.
The initiative focused on empowering women-owned businesses through digital solutions capable of improving income generation, business sustainability, and access to financial services.
The training was organized under the UNCDF 10x Program in partnership with ChapChap and Easy Agric, attracting youth entrepreneurs, small business owners, and leaders of small and medium enterprises.
Speaking during the training, Simon Peter Otebwa, the Sales Manager at ChapChap and a trainer under the UNCDF 10x Program, said the initiative was introduced after realizing that many women-led businesses collapse before becoming stable.
“We are here to digitize women in businesses, although the program is inclusive of men as well. Statistics show that about 60 percent of women-owned businesses fail before they fully start up, and that is why together with our partners and sponsors, especially UNCDF, we decided to intervene,” Otebwa said.
He explained that ChapChap is a financial technology company regulated by the Bank of Uganda and has spent the last ten years providing digital solutions aimed at transforming businesses through technology.
According to Otebwa, poor record keeping remains one of the biggest challenges affecting small businesses, especially in rural communities.
“We discovered that many entrepreneurs do not properly track their expenses and revenues. Some use books for records, but the information becomes disorganized. At the end of the day, many cannot tell whether they are making profits or losses,” he explained.
To address the challenge, ChapChap introduced the “ChapChap Shop” application, which helps business owners monitor daily, weekly, and monthly transactions.
He described the application as a mini enterprise management system that enables entrepreneurs to track sales, expenses, debts, and revenues on one digital platform.
“You may spend money on transport several times a day or entertain visitors at your business place, but if you fail to record such expenses, you will never know the actual profits your business is making. This application gives entrepreneurs visibility over all their business activities,” Otebwa added.
He further noted that the digital platform can help entrepreneurs build a financial profile that may later enable them to access loans and financial support from banks and other institutions.
“Many people in rural communities fail to access loans because they do not have bank statements or financial records. With ChapChap Shop, your transactions become your financial history,” he said.
The application also helps businesses manage debts and sends reminders to both customers and creditors, reducing losses caused by forgotten or delayed payments.
Otebwa revealed that future upgrades to the platform will include digital payment options, allowing business owners to send and receive money directly through the application.
“Soon entrepreneurs will be able to make and receive payments through the app without moving long distances in search of mobile money agents,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Federation of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, Emmanuel Ekileng, commended the United Nations Capital Development Fund, ChapChap, and Easy Agric for extending the program to Pallisa communities.
Ekileng said many entrepreneurs in rural areas struggle due to limited business knowledge and poor market access.
“Our people have been struggling to access markets and proper business knowledge. This program is going to change lives because participants have learned how to improve their businesses and access wider opportunities,” he noted.
He urged leaders, stakeholders, and development partners to continue supporting similar programs aimed at improving household incomes and promoting economic transformation in local communities.
Several youths who attended the training expressed excitement about the skills they acquired, particularly in digital record keeping and financial management.
They pledged to apply the knowledge in their businesses and share the skills with fellow community members to promote entrepreneurship and financial empowerment across Pallisa District.
