The Perseverance of Rural Women

Written by Claire Rudinsky, a VSFS Intern with the U.S. Department of State. She is currently majoring in International Relations with a focus on Economics at the Joint Degree Programme with College of William & Mary and the University of St Andrews

Rural areas usually have fewer resources and economic opportunities, which is why programs like the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) - which offer the ability to support existing rural livelihoods - are vital to promoting a well-balanced economy. Often overlooked by society, rural women are the backbone of many economies, working as farmers, teachers, and entrepreneurs, all while establishing creative new ways to improve their communities.

In remote southern Papua New Guinea, AWE Exchange Alumna Grace Dou started her business, Yara Delta Fish Farm, with the hopes of encouraging proper nutrition and health along with alleviating poverty in her community. In 2018, Dou noticed the lack of opportunity for growing cash crops in the marsh-like environment, and decided to focus on raising fish and other livestock. While her family-run company sells their products to the local community and markets in other nearby towns, reaching their customers is not always easy.

“The number one challenge is transportation, such as road access,” Dou says. “To get from the farm to the highway, it is only accessible by 4-wheel-drive, so often we have to carry all of our produce to the main highway or the marketplace. Electricity can also be a problem, because if we do not have this it makes keeping the fish very difficult.”

Her community and family are extremely supportive of Dou's collective; over 100 people helped with the construction of a pond habitat, and her family frequently work throughout the farm with her. Currently, she continues to work by day as a science teacher and uses her evenings and weekends to bring her business to life. Often, Dou transfers her experience and knowledge from farming to the classroom.

Irene Nalwoga, another creative entrepreneur and AWE alumna, left her career in finance in 2011 and launched her company Renews Tour and Travel, where she offers a variety of safari and hiking tours based in Uganda. Drawing from her own traveling background, she realized that she wanted to provide a safe and enjoyable experience, especially for solo female travelers who want to come to Uganda. In 2016, she created Women Tours Uganda, which offers unique safari tours specifically for solo female travelers. Nalwoga’s business is majority women-led, with many of her employees working on her team since 2011.

AWE alumni Irene Nalwoga with one of her tour groups for the female solo travelers safari in Uganda. Photo Credit: Irene Nalwoga

“I’m always looking for talent and passion beyond anything else. When I'm hiring, you've got to really love what you're doing, and I will give you the platform and train you. We have a lot of loyalty, we are like a family here.”

While both women learned through hands-on experiences, they credit their participation in AWE for upgrading their businesses to the next level. Since its creation in 2019, AWE, which operates under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, has provided U.S.-style learning and support to women around the globe as they launch and grow their businesses. Whether through education, connection, or access to better materials, the AWE program has helped more than 25,000 women across 100 different countries. Each cohort receives instruction specific to regional or individual needs, as well as access to DreamBuilder, a free online learning platform created by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Management in collaboration with the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. Classes cover topics in marketing, financial management, marketing, and other skills essential to starting and maintaining a business. Having self-paced classes was vital in the rural environment, as it allowed the women to work according to their access to wifi and electricity.

Dou highlights “after [participating in] the AWE program, I had knowledge about accounting and marketing, so I began keeping a cash-book, which helped me pay myself and my family when we worked overtime. With marketing, we also started to focus more on what the consumers want.”

Similarly, Nalwoga’s marketing strategy changed after completing the AWE program. By focusing on an audience of female travelers, she was able to target specific websites and exhibitions. With the backing of a U.S. government exchange program, she developed an exceptional reputation and set her business apart in the international tourism market.

“I had lost the energy to run my business [after COVID] because I felt like I’d lost too much, even though I’m not the type of person to give up. But when I got my training, it really pulled me from that downside of self-doubt. What I was looking for when coming to the AWE program was market exposure and opportunities that I couldn’t reach where I was. They have a lot of financial opportunities as well, but the AWE program saw me for what I was doing and gave me back my energy.”

At a recent United States exhibition convention, Irene Nalwoga proudly presents her stand for Women Tour Uganda and prepares to talk to potential customers. 

Photo Credit: Irene Nalwoga

Looking towards the future, both women hope to continue expanding their businesses. Dou is hoping to talk to experts on fish breeding and potentially expand her consumer markets through Papua New Guinea and surrounding islands. Nalwoga wants to focus on marketing directly to female travelers, and recently attended her first two exhibition conferences since the COVID-19 pandemic. Her company now consistently runs tours every month with solo female travelers, and her goal for the future is to increase to two groups during each month (follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook).

Reflecting on her time with AWE, Nalwoga said, “I really made so many connections with people in the program. I think in Uganda there are very few spaces for women entrepreneurs, so I saw the alumni as a platform where, if you want to grow your business, you have people to support you.”

AWE alumni in Uganda pose for a photo. Photo Credit: Irene Nalwoga

 AWE created a supportive environment for rural women to collaborate and learn together, which is a privilege that many urban entrepreneurs overlook. Having people with similar aspirations and challenges can be essential to success, because a community allows these women to learn from each other and celebrate their collective achievements.