Click to read in French By 6:00 AM, the black market in Nakonde is already alive. Footsteps pound the dusty ground, traders shout out their best deals, and shop shutters rattle open in rhythmic unison. It’s the sound of a border town in motion, and at the heart of it are the women crossing from…
Click to read in French It was a moment that would forever change her life. Sitting with her sibling who had recently moved to Côte d’Ivoire, she listened intently as they shared stories of opportunity, growth, and new beginnings. “It was never in my thoughts that I would ever go to Côte d’Ivoire until one…
Jennifer Nagut from Maero village in Uganda displays the bananas at her stall in Busia, Kenya. She is among several Ugandan women who cross the border every day to sell nutritious foodstuffs to Kenya/Photo by Faith Matete It is dawn, and the flickers of the weak morning sun are illuminating the skies of…
The concept of free movement of people within Africa, promoted by the African Union (AU), aims to facilitate the unrestricted movement of people and goods across borders, fostering regional integration, trade, and economic growth. Uganda’s long-standing support for regional integration, including its backing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), has made it…
By: Mmeeme Leticia In Uganda’s northwestern city of Arua, a good Sunday best must always be accompanied by a touch of African print, locally known as Kitenge. The multicolored fabric, rumored to be owned by each of its more than 360,000 population. For a long time, Arua has been a melting point of cultures because…
By Habeebat Ajayi The Heartbeat of Idiroko The Border Area between Nigeria and Cotonou At the buzzing frontier town of Idiroko, located in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, commerce flows with an intensity that mirrors the unyielding spirit of the women who drive it. Positioned strategically along Nigeria’s border with the Benin…
By: Rhonet Atwiine It’s a hot afternoon in Katwe, a suburb of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Sunlight spills through the windows of a classroom where a group of young teenage girls sit, their eyes glued to the blackboard. Their teacher moves across the room, explaining an arithmetic formula. In the middle of the class is…
Morocco has become a crossroads for various types of migration, including labor migrants, international students, and transit migrants. Although transit migration represents the smallest group statistically, it remains the primary focus of Moroccan and European policymakers, as well as the media. Migrants have always been at the center of discussions in Morocco, a country…
By Viola Kosome A group of Ugandan women collect rice at the West Kano Irrigation scheme drying yard. The ease of movement of goods and people has made rice farming thrive in the region/Viola Kosome Alice AumaObora, a mother of three, breathes a sigh of relief as ten strong, hugely built men load 45 bags…
Click to read in French In the heart of Southern Africa lies Eswatini, a small kingdom with a vibrant culture and welcoming spirit. Over the last two decades, this land has become a beacon for female migrants from across the continent. As of 2017, 22,564 people living in Eswatini were foreign nationals, accounting for approximately…
Reported by: Sarah Mawerere, Uganda In many parts of Africa, borders are more than just demarcations; they are lifelines for cross-border traders, especially the women who trade goods to sustain families and communities. There are a number of borders that are key and have eased trade, such as Malaba and Busia between Uganda and Kenya,…
