Cross Border Trade for Peace

The key problem this project seeks to address is the lack of social cohesion and trust amongst border communities between Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Burundi. The project aims to strengthen cross border trade as a vehicle for greater understanding and interdependence between divided communities across borders. In so doing, it addresses the exclusion of women small scale cross border traders from different backgrounds from decision-making on regional economic issues contributing to peace and security. The project builds on the successes of Alert’s previous Sida funded Tushiriki Wote project (2014 – 2018), where we have supported women small-scale cross border traders to organise into groups and structures to both save and advocate for change in their communities and regionally. Come of the successes that we managed to achieve under the cross border trade component of that project included: - increased economic resources for women small scale cross border traders1 - strengthened business skills of women small scale cross border traders - increased confidence of women small scale cross border traders in themselves and in dealing with authorities, family members and the community; greater credibility in the eyes of their families and communities - increased engagement with other women small scale traders from across the border - better relationships between women small scale cross border traders and border authorities In December 2018, International Alert signed a contract with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) in Kinshasa to implement the 4-year project “Mupaka Shamba Letu”, “The border our livelihood”. The project aims to strengthen the capacities of women small-scale cross-border traders across 4 border crossing points between DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi to jointly challenge dynamics that contribute to conflict in their communities and use their influence to promote greater social cohesion and regional cooperation.