Call for Applications

The Problem

Sustainability of businesses in Uganda is bleak – “80-90% of startups fail within the first three years.” Many initiatives intended for income generation fail because they do not achieve their intended objective of generating income surpluses. 

Every farmer is a business person: In rural areas, where the majority of Ugandans live and eke a living from agriculture, almost every peasant farmer is trying to earn a profit, as well as feed his or her family. Many are not succeeding in making profit from farming as a business.

Artisans, Vendors, Hawkers and other micro and small business owners: There are plenty small and medium sized income generation initiatives, particularly so by persons less advantaged and often living in urban centers, the so-called ‘urban poor’. They are trying to earn a profit, as well as feed their families. Many are not succeeding to make a profit from their businesses.

Government of Uganda programs: Such as the on-going Parish Development Model, are focused on facilitating smallholder farming households and small business owners to establish and operate viable income generating activities; but with insufficient success.

The Cause

According to an article, “The Silent Killers of Business,” published in Monitor, a major ‘killer of businesses’ is the business owner’s “failure to separate personal finances from business finances.”

Certainly, without proper financial records, it is hard for a business owner to separate personal from business expenditure. And worse more, it is hard for a business owner to establish if the business is eating into the owner’s personal finances and making the owner poorer instead.

A major reason, indeed, as to why income generating activities are not succeeding is because the initiators and owners of those activities do not take the time to set up and maintain the necessary financial records.  

It is surprising how many Ugandans do not keep some form of record of their income and expenditure. Confirming that many do not appreciate that every person responsible for themselves and or a household is necessarily a business person; and who needs to have useful financial records for decision making.

It is so bad to the extent that in Uganda, the culture of issuing payment vouchers and receipts is not as widely practiced as it should be. Few Ugandans insist on being given a receipt for all their purchases. It is the norm, in fact, to expect not to be issued a receipt by the seller.

If you are trying to run a small business, not issuing payment vouchers, not receiving receipts; and not keeping records for your finances, can be disastrous for you and your business; hence the high failure rate of 80-90% of startups in Uganda.

The Solution

All Ugandans should learn some form of financial record keeping, financial report generation and analysis – simple money skills for everyday business.

• How can you keep good records of your finances (books of accounts)? 
• How can you generate reports about your finances? 
• How can you use the reports about your finances to make decisions?

The CPAR Financial Management Training Course, implemented under the Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre Human Development Project, will provide you with answers to these questions and more.

It will equip you with skills and knowledge for effectively managing your finances; therefore, better income generation; therefore, better income; therefore, improved household standards of living.

This hands-on training, jointly implemented by Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) and CPAR Uganda, will be delivered in two parts:

• Part 1: 11-days of residential training, schedule to take place from Monday, 19^th January 2026 to Friday, 30^th January 2026 at the Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre in Lira City. Reporting day is Sunday, 18^th January 2026 for the successful applicants.

• Part 2: Two-weeks of fieldwork assignments, during which each trainee will receive at least one one-on-one support visit from a CPAR expert training facilitator.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Persons aged 20-40 years.
• Ability to speak, read and write in English.
• Women and residents of Greater Northern Uganda (West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso, Karamoja and Bukedi) will be given priority.

How to Apply

Contact us via email info@cparuganda.com or WhatsApp +256 753 462 816; or physically at Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Centre, Plot 5 Makerere Road, Lira City to request for a simple application form; complete and return it.

Deadline for receiving applications is 8^th January 2026.