International Alert Women Crossborder Trade, The Border Our Livelihood 2018-2022 International Alert Women Crossborder Trade, The Border Our Livelihood 2018-2022 International Alert (IA) har ansökt om finansiellt stöd till ett projekt med titeln "Kvinnors småskaliga gränsöverskridande handel - MUPAKA SHAMBA LETU (vilket betyder "gränsen, vår försörjning"). Projektets mål är att stärka kapaciteten hos kvinnor som ägnar sig åt småskalig gränsöverskridande handel i gränsområdena mellan den Demokratiska Republiken Kongo (DRK), Rwanda och Burundi. Detta tillvägagångssätt ska göra det möjligt för kvinnliga handlare att utmana den ojämställdhet som bidrar till konflikter i deras samhällen och den omgivande regionen, och att använda deras inflytande för att främja större social sammanhållning och regionalt samarbete.

Fokus ligger på fyra gränsområden: Uvira (DRC) -Gatumba (Burundi), Kamanyola (DRK) -Bugarama (Rwanda), Bukavu (DRC) -Kamembe (Rwanda) och Goma (DRC) -Gisenyi (Rwanda). Ekonomisk verksamhet och handel ska öka förtroendet mellan de berörda länderna, specifikt de samhällen som ligger längs de berörda gränserna. Projektet avser att bidra till att öka antalet kvinnor som småskaliga gränsöverskridande näringsidkare, bygga upp deras kollektiva inflytande och ekonomiska makt, och främja mer inkluderande, och fredligt, engagemang mellan samhällen över gränserna.

IA har för avsikt att engagera statliga institutioner, lokala myndigheter, lokala civilsamhällesorganisationer och den privata sektorn (mikrofinansinstitut) för att skapa effektiva lösningar på vissa konfliktproblem i de områden där projektet kommer att implementeras.

IA kommer att implementera projektet tillsammans med åtta lokala partners. Bland dessa finns sex tidigare partners till IA från Tushiriki Wote Project: De valdes igen (av totalt 14) med tanke på deras kompetensområde.

Målgruppen avser 800 kvinnor som ägnar sig åt småskalig gränsöverskridande handel (100 per gränsregion i Goma, Rubavu, Bukavu, Kamembe, Uvira, Gatumba, Kamanyola och Bugarama), 400 makar till dessa, 20 kvinnliga handelsföreningar; 14 kooperativ; 60 små och medelstora företag - med särskilt fokus på kvinnliga små och medelstora företag, och 600 gränskontrolltjänstemän. International Alert (IA) has submitted a proposal for funding of a project titled “Women cross border trade MUPAKA SHAMBA LETU (meaning “the border our livelihood”). The objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of women small-scale cross-border traders in border areas of DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi. This approach should allow women traders to challenge the gender disparities which contributes to conflict in their communities and the surrounding region, and to use their influence to promote greater social cohesion and regional cooperation.

Four borders are targeted: Uvira (DRC)-Gatumba (Burundi), Kamanyola (DRC)-Bugarama (Rwanda), Bukavu (DRC)-Kamembe (Rwanda) and Goma (DRC)-Gisenyi (Rwanda). Economic activities and trade will improve trust between the concerned countries specifically communities along these borders. The project intends to contribute to increasing the number of women small scale cross border traders,  to build their collective influence and economic power and to allow more inclusive and peaceful engagement between communities across borders.  

IA will engage government institutions, local administrations, local CSOs and the private sector (microfinance institutions) to create effective solutions to certain problems of conflict in the areas where the project will operate.

IA will manage the project together with eight local implementing partners. Among these, there are six previous partners to IA from the Tushiriki Wote Project: They were reselected (out of 14 in total) considering their field of expertise.

Target beneficiaries are 800 women small scale cross border traders (100 per border region at Goma, Rubavu, Bukavu, Kamembe, Uvira, Gatumba, Kamanyola and Bugarama);  400 spouses of small scale women cross border traders; 20 Women trader associations; 14 Cooperatives; 60 Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) – with a specific focus on women SMEs and 600 Border officials. 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.