Empowering Women to Transform Lives

Arise Women Empowerment Center Africa (AWEC-AFRICA)* is a Christian, community-based organization dedicated to empowering vulnerable women through savings, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business development, and faith-based mentorship. We equip women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to build sustainable livelihoods, achieve financial independence, and improve the well-being of their families and communities.

AWEC-AFRICA is based in *Bugembe, Jinja City, Eastern Uganda, and serves women across **Jinja, Iganga, and Lugazi* through community-based savings groups and economic empowerment programs.

Arise Women Empowerment Center Africa (AWEC-AFRICA) is a Christian, community-based organization dedicated to empowering vulnerable women through economic and financial empowerment, entrepreneurship, business development, financial literacy, and faith-based mentorship. We equip women with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to build sustainable livelihoods, strengthen their families, and become financially independent.

Founded in 2017 as a Community-Based Organization (CBO), AWEC-AFRICA is registered under Registration No. JC/871/CBO/2026 and is headquartered in Bugembe, Jinja City, Eastern Uganda. Since our inception, we have grown from one women’s savings group into a thriving movement supporting women across Jinja, Iganga, and Lugazi.

At the heart of our work is the AWEC Annual Savings Target Model, through which every member sets a personal financial goal and receives training, mentorship, and access to savings and affordable revolving loans to achieve it. This model has enabled hundreds of women to grow their businesses, increase household income, build assets, and improve the well-being of their families.

Our guiding philosophy is to inspire women to recognize their God-given potential and transform their lives through savings, entrepreneurship, partnership, and practical action. We believe that when women are equipped with the right knowledge, resources, and support, they become catalysts for lasting change in their families and communities.

Let's Meet The Team

Namusabi Mariam

Executive Director

Moureen Kaitisi

Finance /Administration

Kagoya Sarah

Treasurer

Bagonza Erivaidah Irene

Women Cordinator

Founder's Message

Greetings in Jesus’s name!

Founder’s Message

Welcome to AWEC-AFRICA.

My name is Mariam Namusabi, Founder and Executive Director of Arise Women Empowerment Center Africa (AWEC-AFRICA).

My passion for empowering women began in childhood. Raised by a hardworking single mother alongside my four sisters, I watched her struggle tirelessly to provide food, education, shelter, and hope for our family. Despite many hardships, she never gave up. At the age of twelve, I made a promise to myself that one day I would dedicate my life to empowering women who work tirelessly to care for their families.

After graduating from Makerere University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, I pursued a successful career in banking. Yet despite professional success, I carried a deep burden for vulnerable women. During one of the most difficult seasons of my own life, while facing financial challenges and praying for direction, I felt God calling me to equip women with practical skills in saving, entrepreneurship, and business development so they could transform their families and communities.

That vision became a reality when I gathered a small group of vulnerable women in Bugembe. We started with one simple principle: save consistently, grow together, and build sustainable livelihoods. Although many people doubted the idea, the women who remained began to experience real transformation. Their businesses grew, families became more stable, and hope was restored.

Today, that small beginning has grown into AWEC-AFRICA, a faith-based organization that empowers vulnerable women through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, savings, business development, leadership, and spiritual mentorship. Our women meet weekly to save, learn, encourage one another, and access affordable revolving loans that enable them to expand their businesses and improve their household incomes.

From 26 women in one savings group in 2018, AWEC-AFRICA has grown to 245 women in 10 active savings groups across Jinja, Iganga, and Lugazi. Together, our members have mobilized more than UGX 522 million in savings, demonstrating that lasting transformation begins when women are equipped with the right knowledge, discipline, and opportunities.

Our vision extends beyond increasing income. We are committed to building confident women, resilient families, thriving businesses, and stronger communities founded on integrity, faith, and self-reliance.

As you explore our website, I invite you to join us in this journey. Whether you are a partner, donor, volunteer, or friend, your support helps us reach more women with the tools, knowledge, and hope they need to transform their lives.

Together, we can empower women, strengthen families, and build communities where every woman has the opportunity to thrive.

Mariam Namusabi
Founder & Executive Director
Arise Women Empowerment Center Africa (AWEC-AFRICA)

Awec-Africa Started As A Small Gathering

The year 2017 while in the bank and by then I had joined Standard Chartered Bank the burden came back and this time I had a conviction on why I was not helping other vulnerable women. I quickly resolved to embark on the journey I had started 5 years. This time I invited more women and 52 turned and we formed a group called EMPOERMENT CENTRE FOR BETTER AND QUALITY LIVING. I registered it as a Community Based Organisation in Bugembe Town council in Jinja basically to instill a saving culture and develop business skills in women in order to boast their level of income and improve the welfare of their families. We met weekly to pray, save, encourage and teach other skills to better ourselves and our families.

By December 2017 the women had saved 613,000 ugx and only 18 women had stayed. They all received their saving during a function we held in my court yard and the highest saver had 240,000 the amount she saved for the whole year.  I was so encouraged to continue the next year.

We Were 18 Women As The Year Begun

We begun the year with 18 women because they had benefited from the savings in the previous year and they encouraged others to join in too. The number increased to 26 women. As now a registered CBO I encouraged women to register as members and also buy savings books to help them track their records. Weekly meetings were held only on Sundays because I was still working in the bank still. By December 2018 we had saved 870,000.The highest saver had 360,000 Ugx and the lowest had 12,000 ugx. It is in this year that we started getting testimonies from their husbands of the work we were doing in the lives of women. Peace and Harmony in the homes.

 
 

The Year Of Breakthrough

The year was a breakthrough in Awec Africa, I resigned from my banking career of 10 years in the month of August after I received a confirmation from Dr. Cindy Trimm an Ameriacn Prophet that had come to minister in a women’s annual  conference called MY GREAT PRICE hosted by Apostle Grace of Phaneroo Ministries International. Right after being invited on the pulpit she prophesied and said that

” there is a woman here who works in the bank, God is calling you into a full time ministry and you know it. God is telling me that he is going to provide all the resources you need, the people you need and everything to make it work. Just obey and follow the voice of God.”

I was touched and I knew it was me, she invited me in front and I was prayed for. It’s after that, that I took the bold step and resigned from my career as a banker for 10 years. Right after that I was connected to friend from USA called Rosie who was coming to Africa to empower African Women through HEALING FROM INSIDE OUT. Through prayers and training them how to do essential oils.

We met in September 2019 and stayed with me for 6 weeks in my house. During this period we did ministry together, we opened up more groups in the different areas in Jinja suburbs. We got women in Walukuba Danida, Wairaka Nazarene, Wairaka Namaziba.

We managed to get office space that was freely given to us by my mother in Bugembe, Rosie bought all the office furniture, printer and book shelf and sponsored to fund registration for the organization as an NGO. Since it was towards the end of the year we encouraged new members in groups to meet on a weekly basis and that year only 26 women saved 2,100,000 and we made a function in December  where we invited our Mayor Wante Stephen and other local leaders to preside over the function. All the women received their annual saving.

The Year 2020

We managed to register the organization in the new names of ARISE WOMEN EMPOWERNMENT CENTER AFRICA. AWEC –AFRICA in the month of Feburary.

New people joined me as volunteers Maureen Kaitisi as Finance administrator and Olive Opala as Programs Director.

We opened a bank account and we managed to give out loans to the women from the womens savings to boast their businesses.

The group of Bugembe Wanyama plus the new groups of Wairaka Namaziba, Wairaka Nazarene and Walukuba Danida were meeting until Covid 19 pandemic hit in March. The 4 women groups were meeting to save, learn business skills and pray and then Ugandan government announced a total lockdown from the month of April to August 2020.

We managed to give out food during the Covid periods to our members since it was a very hard season for everyone. Over 80 AWEC families and even members in the community RECEIVED the food donations from our friends in the USA led by Rosie. When the government opened up we started saving and by December the number of women registered were 123 WOMEN in all the groups and they saved 19,947,800. In December we had ceremony where all the groups came up to rejoice and receive their saving. Judge Batema was the chief guest, Mrs Pastor Deborah Mbuga was a guest who shared about parenting, Rtn Margaret Kulaba Chairperson Ngo Board Jinja District, representatives and leaders of organisations and many local and political leaders witnessed the function. There was music, dance and drama exhibited by the women. Groups competed in different things. We had speakers from different areas. The highest saver was Basa Robinah from Walukuba Danida Group she had 800,000 she hawks ground nuts on the streets of Jinja.

2020 was a great year in Awec Africa.