Empowering Women and Youth in Cross-Border Trade: Northern Corridor Secretariat Conducts Second Training Session in Bujumbura

Bujumbura, Burundi – As part of its ongoing programme to empower women and youth in cross-border trade, the Northern Corridor Secretariat conducted a second capacity-building session from 26 to 28 March 2025 in Bujumbura, Burundi.

This event followed the initial training held from 10 to 12 March 2025 in Malaba, Uganda, which brought together 40 women cross-border traders from eight border posts across Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.

The second phase was designed as a training-of-trainers (ToT) session, targeting 20 women and youth leaders from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—the two French-speaking Member States of the Northern Corridor. Selected from trader associations and cooperatives, these participants were chosen for their leadership roles and tasked with cascading the knowledge acquired to their peers. With each participant overseeing a network of over 30 women and young traders, the training is expected to indirectly benefit over 600 individuals.

The initiative was supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Transport, Industry and Tourism of the Republic of Burundi. Several national public agencies contributed to the success of the event, including the Border Police and Immigration, the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR), and the Burundi Bureau of Standards (BBN), whose experts shared practical and insightful information relevant to cross-border trade operations.

Participants came from the Kavinvira border post (DRC, Uvira), as well as Gatumba and Rugombo border posts in Burundi.

The training sessions were facilitated by experts from the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), the COMESA Trade Facilitation Office, and the Burundi Ministry of Commerce. The workshop covered a range of key topics, including:

• Entrepreneurship: business creation and management, banking, and access to finance;
• Group dynamics: negotiation techniques, collaboration and partnerships for group growth, and networking for experience-sharing and best practices;
• Agricultural product marketing and border procedures: market-oriented agricultural practices, product preservation for quality assurance, value chain development, connecting smallholder farmers to markets, and mastering cross-border procedures;
• Health and well-being in cross-border trade: safety along transport corridors, transboundary disease transmission, and opportunities for trade linked to public health security.

The workshop concluded with a comprehensive review of the training sessions and key takeaways, emphasizing peer-to-peer learning. Participants identified best practices for crossing borders, developed a strategy for more efficient cross-border trade between DRC and Burundi, and proposed the adoption of a peer evaluation mechanism.

Additionally, a participant profile and database were initiated to ensure ongoing technical support and follow-up.

The event ended on a high note with the official awarding of certificates of participation to all trainees and facilitators, in recognition of their active engagement and valuable contributions throughout the workshop.

This initiative is part of a long-term effort to sustainably build the capacity of women and youth, with the goal of fostering their economic inclusion and empowerment through a more structured, better-informed, and safer cross-border trade environment.

Medias contact: 

Cezzy Kanionga, Deputy Director, Private Sector Investment Promotion