International Alert Women Crossborder Trade, The Border Our Livelihood 2018-2022

The third year of this project, IA has made significant progress in relation to economics empowerment of women cross border traders . The project has strongly supported the notion of FPCTs (women cross border traders) access to diversified economic resources in addition to collecting under more professional and inclusive structures as well as bonding into networks aimed at fostering greater understanding between boarder communities. The project managed also to empower FPCTs to engage in open and constructive discussions between trade actors (cooperatives, P-ACT, private sector, etc.) and border officials to find solutions that prevent boarder related conflicts from escalating Across borders. This is an agenda that is furthered through the group purchasing mechanisms set up by FPCT cooperatives and supported by the project. Under the same initiative of group purchasing the FPCTs have further built trust among their counterparts across the borders and also increased their collective voice when it comes to addressing their common concerns. In summary, during 2021, the project managed to support establishment of 76 new VSLAs (Village Savings and Loans Associations), a total of 116 VSLAs mobilized Savings=$90,368, Social Fund =$23,302.60, Credit=$205,479.6 (1,530 FPCTs); 32 new cooperatives created in 2021, bringing the total to 46, with 3,520 members, 20 Business plans funded for $104,491, 413 MFI loans, amount: $85,550, 8 P-ACTs financially supported, 8 advocacy platforms supported with 39 Business for peace advocacy actions. Result Area 3 recorded slow progress due to the fact that most of the planned activities were strongly affected the tensions between Rwanda and DRC as well as the travel restrictions in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the course of the year though, the project continued engaging cross boarder traders and SMEs under the business for peace approach. The project managed to conduct mapping survey on SMEs operating in the region. The survey highlighted the possible opportunities of private actor to engage in peace building in the region and more importantly shade more light on what the prevailing challenges in relation to business for business for peace approach are. Additionally, a training manual on conflict and gender sensitive business practices and business for peace approach was developed, where a subsequent pilot training (using the manual) for women SMES in Goma and Bukavu was conducted. In a drive to support youth groups to voice their opinion on peace and stability around the boarders and implication on cross boarder trade when the situation deteriorates, the project facilitated dialogue involving 314 youths in communities. The so called youth manifesto for change was crafted. This is basically a collective action plan for all youth groups living on both sides of the boarder sites that stipulates their intention to strengthen peace and stability in their respective communities. The fourth Result Area focuses on increasing the understanding of small-scale cross boarder traders, customs and boarder officials understanding of the cross-boarder trade legislation and procedures. During 2021, MSL managed to conduct training of FPCTs on customs legislation as well as the boarder officials on national legal provisions and regional conventions with an intentional to increase their knowledge to facilitate cross boarder trade. In order to further increase awareness, the project continued supporting production of radio project to air out the challenges that women cross boarder trades face and continue to face along the borders. With regard to collaboration of FPCTs and customs/boarder officials, the project monitoring survey indicates improved collaboration between the two groups. For instance, FPCTs (77.3% in DRC) and (81.6% in Rwanda) who participated in training on small-scale cross- border trade legislation in 2021 claimed to have improved their knowledge of this legislation and how it applies to their activities. The survey also shows significant decrease in illegal crossings where more than 75% of FPCTs are increasingly complying with laws and requirements to cross the border. Additionally, there a decrease in fraudulent practices in the conduct of businesses. However, border officials on both sides of the DRC and Burundi also highlighted that there is still work to be done to enforce border legislation and reduce the trafficking that continues to occur at the borders of these two countries. It should be noted that these trainings didnt involve officials from Rwanda due to covid -19 related restrictions.

The main goal of this project is to contribute to a more inclusive society in border areas of DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, which will in turn lead to a sustainable peace in the region. The Project focuses on strengthening the role that women traders living in these border communities can play in facilitating greater understanding between communities, through cross border trade. The proposal builds on previous IA work in the Great Lakes Region and earlier support from Sweden. In order to achieve this specific objective, IA will work on four key results areas. The first expected result: will focus on creating an enabling environment for women small scale cross border traders to strengthen and use their influence within the home and community, by addressing the socio-cultural norms that place men in a position of power over women in the household and community. The second expected result: Women small-scale cross-border traders in targeted border areas have increased economic resources and have the skills to use these resources to advocate for greater social cohesion and regional cooperation by the end of the Project. The third expected result is: business actors, including women cross border traders and SMEs, in target border areas engage more through increased networking and cooperation, and work together to use their influence in pushing for greater social cohesion, regional cooperation and peace across the region by the end of the Project Having strengthened women traders’ influence over decision making at the household and community levels and supported the way in which they engage with each other in cooperatives, associations and VSLA forums, the Project will, under this result 3, look to strengthen their influence, networks and impact on other key actors within cross border trade. The fourth expected result is that women small-scale cross-border traders, and border and customs officials in targeted border areas understand and have access to cross-border trade legislation, processes; women cross border traders use these resources to advocate for greater social cohesion, and regional cooperation and peace by the end of the project IA has built up strong relationships with authorities and small-scale traders on all sides of the target areas and will, under this result, draw on these to strengthen information sharing on the trade agreements that have been signed and what these mean for traders and border/customs officials in practice.   The Mupaka Shamba Letu Project will focus on 4 key border crossing points. These have been selected on the basis that they represent crossing points with some of the highest volume of trade and therefore the reach and impact of the Project is likely to be most significant. IA has been working in three of the four border regions for the past 4 years (Goma/Rubavu, Bukavu/Kamembe, and Uvira/Gatumba). Through this, they have supported 600 women cross border traders to organise themselves into associations and cooperatives and strengthen their advocacy and leadership capacities, so that they are able to lead impactful advocacy campaigns at the border and provincial levels in particular and at the national and regional levels.