Against the Odds: Building a Woman-Led Agro-Processing Enterprise in Burundi
In Burundi’s northern province of Ngozi, where agriculture sustains most households but rarely translates into economic security, Barutwanayo Ancille has built a woman-led agro-processing enterprise that is reshaping livelihoods, food systems, and women’s participation in trade. As Founder and Managing Director of the Women Soya Milling Company (WSMC), her work demonstrates how value addition can move markets.
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About German Development Cooperation
The East African Community (EAC) and Germany are united by a long history of cooperation that predates the re-establishment of the East African Community (EAC) in 2000. The German government has supported the East African integration since 1999, based on the common understanding that regional integration will improve the social and economic development of EAC Partner States. Since then, Germany has committed more than 580 million euros for development cooperation with the EAC, making Germany one of the biggest and most reliable bilateral development partners of the community.
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Invest.EastAfrica! Private Sector Partnerships Drive €500 Million Investment Pipeline Between East Africa and Europe
Private sector engagement is increasingly contributing to a higher share of value retained by producers by supporting improvements in quality, traceability and compliance with international standards (e.g., EU Deforestation Regulation and the Coffee Sustainability Reference Code). This is reflected in partnerships with companies such as Melitta, a German coffee company sourcing globally, which is working with cooperatives in Tanzania’s Mara region to strengthen supply chains and align production more closely with market requirements.
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From Kenya’s Informal Markets to Global Trade: Elizabeth's Journey in Empowering Women.
Elizabeth Ngina Muasya’s entrepreneurial journey is a compelling story of resilience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment. As Director of Shalom Pride Collection Association and a former Member of County Assembly in Machakos County, Kenya, she has spent over three decades navigating the intersections of informal trade, formal retail, export markets, and public leadership.
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From Paper to Practice: African Regional Blocs Push for Action on Professional Mobility
African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) have renewed calls for the implementation of legislative frameworks to accelerate cross-border mobility for professionals, as momentum builds to translate policy commitments into tangible outcomes. This was the central message emerging from the Inter-REC Learning Exchange held in Nairobi from 30 March to 1 April 2026.
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From Waste to Wealth: Championing Women-led Innovations in Manufacturing Across East Africa
In East Africa, manufacturing has long been framed as a capital-heavy, male-dominated domain, distant from women’s everyday economic realities and largely inaccessible to small and medium enterprises. Mary Ngechu has spent nearly two decades challenging that narrative. As Group Managing Director of Line Plast Group and Managing Director of TakaTaka ni Mali, Mary has built an industrial ecosystem that places women, sustainability, and regional trade at the centre of production, proving that inclusive manufacturing is not only possible, but invaluable.
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EAC in the Global AI Discourse: Shaping a Regional AI Strategy
The East African Community (EAC) is finalising its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2026–2031). Far from being a technical policy exercise, the strategy focuses on how AI can be applied in practice. At its core, the strategy confronts the region’s most pressing structural challenge: the future of work. With up to half of jobs expected to require digital skills by 2030, aligning education systems with labour market needs is critical. The validation of the strategy marks a transition from ambition to implementation. The next phase will focus on mobilising investment, strengthening institutions, and operationalising mechanisms to support implementation at scale.
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From Learning to Market Transformation: How e-Learning is Strengthening Tourism Businesses in the EAC
In an increasingly competitive global tourism market, success is no longer driven by destination appeal alone, but by how effectively businesses design and communicate experiences that resonate with specific traveller segments. For Soulpeace Thomas Mzee, Founding Director of Noble Adventure Tanzania DMC, the EAC Tourism Capacity Development Programme triggered a shift from intuition-based decisions to more deliberate, structured business strategies. “Before the course, many of our decisions were based on what we believed worked. Now, we are actively analysing who our customers are, what they value, and how we position our experiences accordingly.”
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EAC Demonstrates Preparedness for the Next Outbreak at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026
At the World Health Summit Regional Meeting (27–29 April 2026), held under the theme “Reimagining Africa’s Health Systems: Innovation, Integration and Interdependence”, the East African Community (EAC) showcased how regional cooperation is strengthening outbreak preparedness and response across Partner States. Through a live simulation exercise on the clinical management of Ebola and Marburg patients, alongside high-level sessions on surveillance, laboratory systems and rapid response, the EAC demonstrated how coordinated approaches are enabling faster detection and more effective containment of infectious disease outbreaks, reinforcing the region’s preparedness for future health threats.
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Against the Odds: Building a Woman-Led Agro-Processing Enterprise in Burundi
In Burundi’s northern province of Ngozi, where agriculture sustains most households but rarely translates into economic security, Barutwanayo Ancille has built a woman-led agro-processing enterprise that is reshaping livelihoods, food systems, and women’s participation in trade. As Founder and Managing Director of the Women Soya Milling Company (WSMC), her work demonstrates how value addition can move markets.
Read More....About German Development Cooperation
The East African Community (EAC) and Germany are united by a long history of cooperation that predates the re-establishment of the East African Community (EAC) in 2000. The German government has supported the East African integration since 1999, based on the common understanding that regional integration will improve the social and economic development of EAC Partner States. Since then, Germany has committed more than 580 million euros for development cooperation with the EAC, making Germany one of the biggest and most reliable bilateral development partners of the community.
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Agriculture & Food Security
Agriculture is one of East Africa’s most important sectors with about 80% of the region’s population living in rural areas and depending on agriculture for their livelihood.
Customs Union & Common Market
While the objectives of the East African Community cover almost all spheres of life, the main goal of the Customs Union is the formation of a Single Customs Territory and the implementation of the…
Education & Training
Recognising the importance of education and science & technology in economic development, the EAC focuses on harmonised curricula, certification and accreditation institutions as well as joint…
Environment & Natural Resources
The East African Community is endowed with various natural resources such as forests, water, wildlife, mountains, minerals and energy resources.
Gender, Community Development & Civil Society Mobilization
EAC regional integration is people-centred and participatory. To this end, broad participation of key stakeholders including women, youth, private sector and civil society is needed. Partner States…
Health
The EAC Secretariat is mandated to offer advisory and coordinating support for the Seven Partner States in the prevention of and response to outbreaks of infectious diseases of public health concern.
Industrial Development & SMEs
The EAC Partner States aspire to transform their economies to a modern and industrialised status that can sustainably generate sufficient outputs to satisfy both domestic and export markets and…
Investment & Private Sector Development
With the aim of harnessing the investment potential to promote economic growth and development in the region, the EAC Partner States have agreed to cooperate in the areas of Investment and Industrial…
Organisational Development & Outreach
The fast pace of EAC integration necessitates constant development of EAC at an organisational level to steer the integrational process. Furthermore, clear and tangible communication on the benefits…
Peace & Security
The EAC aims to achieve a peaceful and integrated region by enabling and enforcing collaboration between Partner States in preventing and resolving disputes and conflicts and ridding the region of…
Tourism & Wildlife
East Africa has recorded impressive achievements in the realm of tourism owing to the conscious efforts by EAC Partner States to work together in promoting growth in the sector.
