Doubts transcend into friendship

It is a Saturday morning and the mood at the marketplace in the Essence neighbourhood of Bukavu is ebullient. Dozens of Congolese women in bright clothes are clapping, singing and dancing. "Thank you for your support. Together we are strong!" they cry. The women are in high spirits because International Alert with the SDC's support has procured a white delivery van for them from neighbouring Rwanda to transport their goods.

So far, the women were using three-wheelers. A van is a much better option given the bad condition of the roads. One woman after the other sits at the steering wheel holding the number plate, keys and registration papers pretending to be ready to drive off– although none of them possess a driving licence. A driver will drive them to the Rwandan border a few kilometres away to pick up the goods they ordered. Farming is more developed across the border.

Agricultural production around Bukavu, a city with 1.5 million inhabitants, is nowhere near sufficient. There is no dearth of farmland in South Kivu province, but many crops do not grow well because of diseases. Rural roads are also often in poor condition. The most important reason, however, is lack of safety in the villages, which forces people to migrate to cities and give up their fields.

The SDC has been supporting the Cross-Border Trade for Peace project to help build peace in the African Great Lakes region. Cross-border trade is growing through a network facilitated by International Alert comprising women traders from Burundi, the DR Congo and Rwanda. Their shared business interests have improved the women's incomes while simultaneously strengthening interaction and mutual understanding.

"When we place orders we have to negotiate with our Rwandan counterparts. That changes the image we have of one another. Initially I did not trust them. I was nervous about sending money and not getting any goods in return. But it worked," says Riziki, a Congolese mother of six children. She sells tomatoes, sweet potatoes, oranges and mangoes at the market.

Bonane, who sells fish says, "Communication and interaction have reduced the reservations that existed on both sides. We view each other differently now. We no longer talk just about prices. We exchange news and have made friends." Some even share their happy and difficult times. "The women invite one another to weddings. If a Congolese woman is ill, 20 to 30 women from Rwanda will visit her, or vice-versa," says Pascaline Safari, the vice president of the women traders platform in Bukavu. She adds, "The situation has eased considerably. The image we still grew up with was that we would be murdered if we went to Rwanda." At the political level, of course, there continue to be tensions between both countries.

"Relations between both our countries are complicated but we focus on our business," says Clémentine. Women from Kabirizi village in Rwanda's Western Province deliver fruit and vegetables to the DR Congo. "The women in Congo are like sisters and comrades. Business binds us. I am not treated as a woman from Rwanda but as a business partner."

Big sacks full of red onions from Rwanda have just arrived in a warehouse near the marketplace in Bukavu. In no time, women traders arrive and start picking out the best produce, chatting cheerfully. They placed a bulk order together to get a better price.

On their part, the women traders in Rwanda help out with work in the warehouse, for instance cleaning. "Since they store their goods here it is in their interest that everything is in good shape. Sharing work bonds the women together and is fun," says Safari. She is in regular contact with her colleagues from the trading platforms in Burundi and Rwanda "to coordinate about the quantity and quality of the produce, customs duties and changes in official regulations relating to the movement of goods."

Business skills training is provided to women traders in all three countries to help them manage their business dealings correctly. Cynthia, a young fish trader from Burundi, lives on the outskirts of Bujumbura and participated in one such training programme. "I now note down all my income and expenses in a notebook. Previously I had no idea about bookkeeping," she says. Every morning at the crack of dawn she heads to the fishermen and subsequently brings the fish to her Congolese counterparts at the border. "I am even able to save a little money now. By the time I settle down at night, my children have had a proper meal," she smiles. She is also proud that "I don't contribute any less to the household budget than my husband. This emancipation makes me happy."