13–17 October 2025 | ESAMI HQ – Arusha, Tanzania
The week of 13–17 October 2025 marked another winning week at ESAMI–trapca, as the Centre successfully hosted an onsite AfCFTA Awareness Raising Workshop for civil society organisations (CSOs), women, and youth groups drawn from across the East African Community (EAC) region. This impactful workshop was held under the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)-supported Capacity Development for Africa’s Structural Transformation (CADAST) programme, which aims to strengthen Africa’s institutional and human capacities for effective participation in continental trade and integration processes.
Women engaged in business, informal and cross-border trade, youth entrepreneurs, CSOs, and consumers are vital to shaping the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s real-world outcomes. Their engagement is critical for creating awareness, building community ownership, and fostering accountability in trade policy formulation and implementation.Despite their importance, these groups often face knowledge gaps, limited access to information, and structural barriers that restrict their participation in national and regional trade processes. The Arusha workshop provided a hands-on and interactive platform to address these challenges through applied learning, peer exchange, and collaborative engagement on AfCFTA provisions, trade facilitation, and inclusive advocacy.
Throughout the week, participants explored key topics such as:
• Understanding AfCFTA protocols and opportunities for women and youth;
• Tackling non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and promoting cross-border trade facilitation;
• Strengthening CSO-led advocacy and coordination mechanisms; and
• Linking AfCFTA implementation to local enterprise development and community empowerment.
The sessions were highly participatory, combining discussions, group exercises, and peer-to-peer reflections. A major highlight of the week was the enlightening field trip to the Namanga One Stop Border Post (OSBP) — a vibrant gateway between Tanzania and Kenya. During the visit, participants observed real-time trade facilitation processes, interactions between border agencies, and the daily experiences of small-scale and cross-border traders. The experience offered valuable practical insights into how the AfCFTA, customs cooperation, and trade facilitation measures operate on the ground, particularly for women and youth engaged in informal and small-scale trade.
As the next step, participants will develop and implement country-level dissemination projects designed to cascade the knowledge gained in Arusha. These initiatives will focus on raising awareness of the AfCFTA, training peers and community networks, and advocating for inclusive policy implementation to ensure that women and youth fully benefit from continental trade opportunities. This approach transforms learning into action, creating local multipliers who can drive AfCFTA awareness, dialogue, and advocacy within their home countries and communities.
The successful completion of this workshop underscores ESAMI–trapca’s ongoing commitment to inclusive trade capacity development. By empowering women, youth, and CSOs as critical agents of change, the Centre continues to champion a people-centred AfCFTA implementation process that bridges policy and practice. ESAMI–trapca extends appreciation to ACBF for its steadfast partnership under the CADAST initiative and to all participants for their enthusiasm, collaboration, and dedication to advancing Africa’s trade transformation agenda.
