Rella Women's Foundation (Rella WF), on Thursday 27th August 2020 held a one-day workshop dubbed Empower Her under the Hebwa program at the Rella Utopia office premises in Kampala.  Following the strict implementation of the COVID-19 SOPs, a small diverse group of 20 from Kampala were invited to participate in the skills training activity that seeks to empower LBQ women with sustainable skills, tailored specially for his unprecedented period. This initiative will be conducted in phases in different parts of the country until the end of the year

"As we push for social inclusion and services for everyone, we believe that we are not alone in this struggle. That's why we make it a point to involve all women in our conversations, day to day work and programing," Joan Amek, the Executive Director of Rella WF said in her welcome remarks.

She further explained that the organization had come to the realization that survival in the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for everyone and therefore, there was need to find strategies on how to transition and adjust to the new normal as women in general to get back on track regardless of the changes in our communities.

The workshop was divided into several sessions which included an interactive dialogue which aimed at giving participants an insight on change of mindsets in regards to life's purpose and instill hope for the future. The facilitator of this session Sonia Karungi noted that social and cultural constructs by society have for so long been used to sideline and restrict most women especially in the African context through gender norms which has contributed to a fixed rather than growth mindset.

This was followed by a financial therapy session facilitated by Winifred Mugambwa, this was intended to guide the participants on a reflective journey of their financial discipline and question their behavior or relationship towards money. "Our projections on money are determined by both positive and negative influences or projections in our lives. We should also realise that our financial health is affected by our mental wellness," Winifred said in her presentation.

The workshop also had a practical session where the participants were taught how to print T-shirt in a hope to practically impart a quickly marketable skill.

Rella Women’s Foundation also revealed that they had established Kwa Hebwa Academy under the Hebwa program. The academy will be a safe space for mentorship and capacity building of LBQ women in Uganda. Interested parties are encouraged to register to take part in the one-year project that will facilitate their economic and financial progress.