TradeMark East Africa, in Partnership with AMSCO Development Solutions Limited is set to roll out a capacity building and mentorship program for 2,000 Women Informal Cross Border Traders and Women Entrepreneurs in South Sudan.
The Women in Trade Programme aims at benefitting 2,000 women traders across the borders of Nimule, Kaya and Nadapal and will focus on improving the trading environment for women in trade as well as build the business capacity of women traders, SMEs and Cooperatives.
The Women in Trade is a 9 months Programme from May 2020 to February 2021, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA). Through the Programme, TradeMark East Africa seeks to increase incomes and improve livelihoods for women traders and women-owned enterprises through capacity building, addressing trade barriers and advocacy for policies that will create an enabling environment for women traders and women-led SMEs. This is part of a larger initiative by TMEA to tackle poverty and reduce inequality through increased trade and competitiveness. The expected end of programme outcome is “Increased Social and Economic Empowerment of Women Traders in Eastern Africa. This empowerment will be achieved through 3 key objectives:
- Increase income from trade for targeted women traders in East Africa.
- Increase the capacity of women to participate in trade
- promote the rights of women in trade and reduce their vulnerability to violence and exploitation.
The first phase of the Programme (2010-2018) delivered exceptional results which contributed to substantial gains in East Africa’s trade and regional integration in terms of reduced cargo transit times, improved border efficiency, and reduced barriers to trade. Now in the second phase (2018 – 2023), the focus is on:
- Reducing barriers to trade; and
- Improving business competitiveness.
The programme is to be delivered in three phases. The pre-training phase which involved mapping of stakeholders was conducted alongside a Needs Assessment survey to validate the training objectives. This phase was been finalized in August 2020 and the images below capture the live survey conducted.
The training delivery phase is twofold – developing and customizing of the training content to meet the needs assessed and the actual training delivery on advocacy and capacity building. The training manuals have been developed and approved and we are now beginning the training delivery from 25th January, 2021. The post training phase which is the final one will include mentorship, coaching and Programme evaluation.
TradeMark East Africa is an aid-for-trade organisation that was established in 2010, with the aim of growing prosperity in East Africa through increased trade. TMEA operates on a not-for-profit basis. TMEA works closely with Regional Intergovernmental Organisations and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, with successful operations and offices in EAC-Arusha, Burundi (Bujumbura), Tanzania (Dar es Salaam), Democratic Republic of Congo (Bukavu), Horn of Africa, South Sudan, Uganda (Kampala) and Rwanda (Kigali).
AMSCO Development Solutions Ltd is the Kenyan registered subsidiary company of the African Management Services Company BV (AMSCO), a pan African private sector development company. AMSCO offers integrated market-led solutions to enhance and ensure inclusive growth and sustainable development for private sector and public institutions using innovative approaches and partnerships to scale up various economic interventions.
