{"id":96,"date":"2025-06-06T17:19:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T17:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/?p=96"},"modified":"2025-06-06T17:53:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T17:53:22","slug":"no-internet-no-growth-the-hidden-barrier-for-young-entrepreneurs-in-uganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/no-internet-no-growth-the-hidden-barrier-for-young-entrepreneurs-in-uganda\/","title":{"rendered":"No Internet, No Growth: The Hidden Barrier for Young Entrepreneurs in Uganda"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n

In the heart of Luweero, John Kasozi repairs shoes in a small room. He dreams of expanding his business\u2014offering delivery, showcasing his custom shoe designs, maybe even taking online orders. But there\u2019s one problem: he doesn\u2019t own a smartphone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI hear other people are on Facebook, TikTok, even WhatsApp Business,\u201d he says. \u201cBut for me, it\u2019s just a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

John is just one of thousands of young Ugandans caught in the digital divide\u2014not because they lack ideas, passion, or skills, but because they lack the tools to connect<\/strong>. In today\u2019s world, having access to the internet isn\u2019t just a luxury\u2014it\u2019s a lifeline. It\u2019s how young entrepreneurs market their products, find clients, learn new skills, and grow their businesses.<\/p>\n\n

Yet in Uganda, millions still live offline<\/strong>. For many, the cost of a basic smartphone is more than a month\u2019s income. Daily internet bundles, while seemingly cheap, add up quickly\u2014eating into food money or school fees. As a result, promising entrepreneurs are locked out of the digital economy.<\/p>\n\n

The Real Cost of Being Left Behind<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
\n
A brilliant high school graduate can\u2019t apply for online jobs because they don\u2019t have an email address.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
A young tailor can\u2019t learn new techniques from YouTube or connect with customers online.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
An artist misses opportunities because they can\u2019t showcase their work on social media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
This digital exclusion is slowing down Uganda\u2019s youth-led progress<\/strong>. It\u2019s not because young people aren\u2019t trying\u2014it\u2019s because the system isn\u2019t fair. Some have the tools and the connection. Most do not.<\/p>\n\n
A Simple Solution: Connection and Access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
That\u2019s where Tez Child Fund Africa<\/strong> comes in.<\/p>\n\n
Tez Child Fund Africa is working to bridge the gap by:<\/p>\n\n
\n
Providing affordable smartphones<\/strong> to young entrepreneurs who can\u2019t afford them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Setting up free Wi-Fi zones<\/strong> in underserved communities, marketplaces, and schools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Offering digital literacy training<\/strong> so young people can make the most of the internet when they finally get connected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
But we can\u2019t do it alone.<\/p>\n\n
How You Can Help<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
Your donation\u2014no matter how small\u2014can change someone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n
\n
$20<\/strong> can provide internet access for a young person for a month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
$50<\/strong> can help buy a starter smartphone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
$500<\/strong> can support the installation of a public Wi-Fi point in a rural trading center.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
When you donate to Tez Child Fund Africa<\/strong>, you\u2019re not just giving a device or data. You\u2019re unlocking opportunity<\/strong>\u2014for a tailor, a mechanic, a student, a content creator. You\u2019re investing in the future of Uganda.<\/p>\n\n
Because in today\u2019s world, no internet means no growth. And no smartphone means no chance.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
Let\u2019s change that\u2014together<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
\ud83d\udc49 Donate today at https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/donate\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Uganda, thousands of talented young entrepreneurs are being left behind\u2014not because they lack skills or ambition, but because they simply can\u2019t afford a smartphone or daily internet bundles. From tailors and shoemakers to content creators and students, many are locked out of the digital economy, unable to market their businesses, learn new skills, or connect with opportunities online. At Tez Child Fund Africa, we believe that access to the internet\u2014and the tools to use it\u2014should not be a privilege. We’re working to provide affordable smartphones and create free Wi-Fi zones in underserved communities, so every young person has a fair shot at success. Because in today\u2019s world, no smartphone means no internet\u2014and no internet means no growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/pTQ-iCLAPTZbMd1TRJV_qZ9Gurx0ZPSj.jpg?fit=760%2C461&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96\/revisions\/104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezchildfundafrica.com\/storiesthatmatter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}