As a member of the results team, I provide support in developing monitoring plans for projects across the organisation. What I find especially fulfilling in my role is the remarkable diversity and the promise of change that these projects aim to bring to our Africa work. The ever-changing landscape can seem daunting to an observer, however, I find it intellectually invigorating. It’s this constant exposure to fresh and exciting tasks that adds a layer of excitement to my role and fuels my enthusiasm. What I appreciate about TMA’s programming is the tangible impact it generates. The work we do leads to real-world changes and improvements.

As a Programme Manager for West Africa I employ varied skills sets, including leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence and every day gives me an opportunity for continuous improvement (kaizen) and lifelong learning. This is important in the field of trade, which is evolving and ever-growing. Any opportunity to learn excites me. Any opportunity to contribute to the prosperity of Africans gives me energy and purpose. TMA’s Programme Lifecycle management adheres to international best practice, regional and local contexts, and delivers real impact. From inception, TMA’s programming involves co-creation with TMA technical leads and stakeholders, as well as the leadership, to secure their points of view, counsel, buy-in and commitment. This leads to the sustainability of interventions and tangible results that have a direct impact on project participants.

I feel fulfilled by TMA’s mission of growing prosperity through trade. I’ve witnessed the positive outcomes of our efforts, ranging from increased exports, simpler trade procedures, job creation and the transformation of women traders from informal businesses to formal enterprises, enabling them to compete in regional and global markets. The dedication of my team - in Tanzania- ensures that we not only meet immediate needs, but also contribute to long-term development, such as sustainable and efficient infrastructure, improved trading standards and effective trade systems and procedures. The achievements that my country programme has posted in the last decade, demonstrate that our initiatives directly respond to the challenges faced by businesses and stakeholders in the region.

TMA accords me a strategic opportunity to drive positive change and streamline processes that have a direct bearing on regional and international trade. I am excited to be in a position where I support efforts to enhance Malawi’s exports, addressing current challenges such as the huge balance of payments and forex currency scarcity, as well as supporting smooth crossborder transactions for the benefit of traders and communities. I also enjoy coordinating with diverse teams that support us on specific issues, such as the Digital Trade team which supports the digitalisation of government trade agencies, aiming to reduce document processing times and cost, all of which has a direct benefit on the ease of doing business and the cost of goods and services. TMA’s programming is positioned to address some of the complex challenges in regional and international trade. The impacts of our work are tangible in terms of improvements in crossborder transactions, reducing the time and cost of doing business, eliminating barriers to trade, and improving the quality of standards and compliance of products through accreditation processes.

Working in a leading aid-for trade organisation in Africa is fulfilling for me, as trade is a powerful driver of growth and development. As an afro-optimist, a programme management specialist and a development studies graduate, I relish putting my passion, skills and knowledge into the implementation of trade facilitation programmes across the continent. Seeing the transformational impact of our projects, be it in improving the trade environment, or applying digital technologies to improve access to trade information, or other ways in which TMA makes a difference, it is always a step nearer to moving the continent towards prosperity. Having been with the organisation for more than a decade it is gratifying to see TMA grow to cover other regions of the continent. What an exciting time to be in this space, with implementation of the world’s largest free trade area taking centre stage in Africa’s trade landscape!

I like the freedom and delegated authority within TradeMark Africa, which is important in enabling us to deliver the results we achieve. The culture supports creativity and innovation. I came from the donor side, which I see as strategic, especially with funding, but my role at TMA is more suited to me personally as I work around multiple challenges characteristic of the development sphere. Getting to know people, knowing what is going to work or not, sitting between the financiers, who want us to deliver certain results against set targets, and government institutions and private sector players who have their own pressures and priorities, is challenging and exciting in equal measure. As change makers, we sit between several actors and match up the demands to get things done. One thing to note, here at TMA you literally see the impact of our work. In the Horn of Africa programme we are privileged to deliver results such as the Hargeisa Bypass Road in Somaliland. At Tog Wajaale border women traders are now operating in safe marketplaces, away from the harsh weather elements, and from previously open air, run-down markets. The markets are larger with traders able to go about their activities more safely. I love seeing the smiles on their faces. Now to complete the Berbera market.

As the Djibouti Country Director, I derive immense satisfaction in my work. I am surrounded by talented, enthusiastic, and passionate individuals committed to their craft. The work presents a rare intersection of transport, trade, trade policy, and trade facilitation. When looking at one component alone, such as good infrastructure, it is not sufficient without the support of other elements such as trade policy and facilitation, both crucial for fostering a competitive business environment. It’s both a challenging and exciting role. The excitement stems from my passion for achieving impactful results in the Corridor Programme, aiming to reduce the time and cost of doing business, together with enabling cross-border trade with neighbouring countries. The challenge lies in collaborating with stakeholders to meet programme goals while managing the expectations of our funders, who eagerly anticipate the positive impact on communities’ lives.

I have been working at TMA since the beginning, in 2010, when I started the Rwanda Programme as the Country Director. I am really proud of the work we do at TMA in delivering high impact projects that have both transformational outcomes and positive impacts among vulnerable groups, such as women traders. It has been an incredible journey from TradeMark East Africa to becoming the largest aid for trade agency with a pan Africa coverage under TradeMark Africa. Currently, I am the Chief of Party for the Economic Recovery and Reform Activity (ERRA) – a $75 million programme funded by USAID, and implemented by TMA in East Africa and the Horn. This has been an exciting challenge as ERRA is one of our flagship programmes and USAID one of our newest and largest donors. To deliver ERRA we have hired a number of staff, particularly younger people from the region. I am really motivated by their enthusiasm and energy and ready to impart my knowledge and passion for delivering high impact projects to this new cohort.

As an auditor, I interact with different types of projects. I get to learn about our diverse interventions, be it infrastructure, digital, or standards, and at the regional and country level. As an internal auditor, I am privileged to have a view of the whole programme cycle and recommend improvements where we notice control gaps. I work closely with cross functional teams to identify workable solutions to challenges. Besides being part of project implementation processes, I appreciate the opportunity to learn new things, which I love. This has helped me to grow my skills and breadth of knowledge and also enabled me to appreciate the impact of our work in growing prosperity through trade.

Im honoured to serve such an exceptional organisation that is involved in reducing poverty by facilitating advancements in trade. TMA’s working environment is good because it has given me an opportunity to grow academically and professionally. It is my joy to work among a team of hardworking, passionate, driven and committed people who are changing lives across Africa..

TMA has a multi-cultural environment, with diversity in gender, nationality and background as well as a lot of growth and learning opportunities. Working here has positively changed my professional view, especially during these early career years. It has given me an opportunity to engage and work with government, private sector, as well as civil society organisations across the region. Through direct involvement in designing, development, and implementation of trade and trade facilitation projects, I have been able proudly witness the impacts of what we do to improve trade as well as poverty reduction in the region.

I joined TMA in January 2020 as the Risk and Compliance Manager, tasked with embedding and developing the newly enhanced Risk and Compliance Programme. Joining just before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and staff had to work remotely, TMA’s working environment remained supportive, caring and resilient. I enjoy working with the diverse team spanning 13 African countries, as we mitigate threats and improve compliance across TMA’s programmes. The warm and caring culture and supportive tructures inspire excellence, and make me look forward to work each day.

I joined TMA in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 and immediately started working from home. Regardless of this, I have come to enjoy the diversity within the organisation that has helped me learn about different cultures. TMA is a knowledge-based organisation that has encouraged me to apply my skills as I learn new ones. Excited for the growth as the organisation extends it’s scope to the rest of Africa.

The East African Community means market increase; a big political forum for negotiation and lobbying; easy movement of goods and services; and a bigger force to reckon with in the region and beyond. TMA’s interventions are aligned with EAC member states’ priorities to facilitate the achievement of development goals. The working environment is good and I love that I have a great degree of control and freedom within my job.

When I think about the EAC, two words come to mind: diversity and unity –diverse people linked through trade, creating unity. I love collaborating to improve the internal control environment and activities, enhancing the probability that beneficiaries derive the most value from TMA’s interventions. I believe TMA is a success because of the passion that the TMA family has for making a meaningful impact on regional trade.

TMA is a success story because it is at the forefront of ensuring that the EAC integration process succeeds through facilitating trade, removing trade barriers, connecting borders and simplifying trade processes and procedures in the EAC region. TMA also plays a key role in ensuring that women become central to the integration process. Engaging with team members spread across the region has enabled me to understand various cultures and working ways.