FINCA Uganda Brand Ambassador Janet Mudoola
Nearly half of Uganda’s women are unbanked. If they want to save, borrow or make payments, they rely on informal methods. These informal channels can expose women to fraud, theft and exceedingly high interest rates. Fortunately, FINCA Uganda’s new champion for change is helping women find a better way.
In her role as Brand Ambassador, longtime FINCA Uganda client Janet Mudoola will spend the next two years traveling across Uganda. She will share her story and show women how they can achieve financial independence just as she did years ago.
This approach is a fresh way to reach women who may not feel comfortable contacting FINCA directly or might not even know about its services. By having Janet—a trusted and respected community member—guide them, women will feel more confident exploring ways to build a better future for themselves.
A Successful Businesswoman
Janet is well-qualified for her role. Janet is the Chairperson of Kimanto Twegaite, the first Village Banking group formed in Uganda1992. In that role, Janet has seen firsthand how financial inclusion can change women’s lives.
With help from FINCA loans and financial education, Janet and her husband built a successful business farming sugarcane. Today, they employ several local workers to help manage the farm, providing much-needed jobs in their community. The couple also have built a comfortable home and provided a quality education for their children. Two of Janet’s children are midwives, one is a teacher and another, supported by a FINCA scholarship, is a physician. Her youngest is still in school.
FINCA believed in our dreams and saw our potential as women to grow financially. I am so proud to have been able to grow my business and educate my children in partnership with FINCA. – Janet Mudoola
A Proven Champion for Change
Janet’s financial success has inspired other women to pursue their own business ventures. One of the women, Sarah, was hesitant to start her own business due to a lack of confidence and financial expertise. But after attending several group meetings led by Janet, Sarah took out her first loan. She used the money to start a small produce business and is now able to provide for her three children.
What makes Janet’s work as a champion for change especially valuable is her ability to connect with women who have no experience with formal financial services and may feel hesitant or unsure of where to start. As a respected community member, she bridges the gap, showing women that financial independence is within reach.
Thousands of women will see themselves in Janet and be inspired to improve their own lives. – FINCA Uganda Board Chair Olive Lumonya
The Vision of Financial Inclusion
Janet’s success ties back to the vision of the late Rupert Scofield, FINCA’s co-founder. In 1992, Rupert traveled to Uganda to hire the first staff and make the FINCA’s first loans in Uganda. When Rupert met Janet and her group, he saw how much small loans and financial literacy could help these women do. Reflecting on his visit, Rupert wrote, “They spoke of their accomplishments, including successfully putting their children through the education system, expanding their crops, and improving their homes.”
More than 30 years later, FINCA Impact Finance CEO Jeff Flowers reflects on Janet’s journey as one that highlights the impact of FINCA’s work in helping families lift themselves out of poverty.
Janet’s story is proof that when given opportunity and resources, women transform their lives and communities. – FINCA Impact Finance CEO Jeff Flowers