Introduction
One of the most distinctive aspects of GEW Uganda 2025 was its commitment to removing practical barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from fully participating. A standout example was the involvement of Mama Children’s Village Ltd, represented by Estella Kabagaya in the “Together Women Build” panel during the GEW Conference.
Beyond contributing to the discussion, Mama Children’s Village played a unique operational role: providing childcare and breastfeeding support on-site, enabling entrepreneur parents — especially mothers — to attend sessions without worrying about their children.
Who is Mama Children’s Village?
Mama Children’s Village is an enterprise focused on childcare, early childhood development, and support services for working parents. At GEW Uganda 2025, the team extended this mission to the conference setting by designing a safe, child-friendly space within the Enterprise Uganda Centre of Excellence.
On-Site Daycare & Breastfeeding Support
During the conference days, Mama Children’s Village offered:
- Supervised daycare services for participants’ children
- A private breastfeeding and rest area for nursing mothers
- Age-appropriate learning activities introducing children to entrepreneurial thinking in playful ways
This model ensured that mothers did not have to choose between attending a high-value business conference and caring for their children. Instead, GEW 2025 became a family-aware space where entrepreneurship and caregiving could coexist.
Women in Business Panel Contribution
As a panelist on “Together Women Build: Opportunity, Partnerships and Challenges,” Estella Kabagaya shared the journey of building Mama Children’s Village into a business that addresses a real, often overlooked need: childcare for working parents and entrepreneurs.
Her contribution highlighted:
- How social enterprises can be both impactful and commercially sustainable
- The importance of designing services around the realities of women entrepreneurs’ lives
- The role of partnerships — in this case, with Enterprise Uganda and GEN Uganda — in expanding reach.
Why This Matters for Inclusive Entrepreneurship?
The presence of Mama Children’s Village at GEW Uganda 2025 sent a clear message:
If Uganda wants more women participating in entrepreneurship spaces, those spaces must be designed with women’s realities in mind.
Key implications include:
- Event organisers should budget for childcare services at entrepreneurial gatherings.
- Policymakers and BDS providers should recognise childcare as part of the enabling environment for women-led businesses.
- Future GEW events can replicate and adapt this model in other regions.
Looking Ahead
Mama Children’s Village’s role at GEW Uganda 2025 is more than a one-off innovation; it points toward a more inclusive design of entrepreneurship ecosystems, where family responsibilities are not a barrier to growth.
As GEN Uganda and Enterprise Uganda plan future events, the integration of childcare and family-friendly services will remain an important benchmark for gender-responsive ecosystem building.