Poverty and lack of income continue to trap many women and young people in unsafe, abusive and exploitative situations across the border communities of West Nile. Zoota responds to this reality by turning skills, cross-border trade and entrepreneurship into pathways to safety, dignity and economic independence.

We support women, youth and small-scale traders to earn safely and fairly through cross-border trade between Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Through trade education, legal clinics, legal protection, business support and policy advocacy, we address corruption, insecurity, complex regulations and exclusion that keep rural traders informal and vulnerable. By strengthening rights and access to markets, we are transforming cross-border trade into a tool for economic justice, regional growth and community stability across West Nile.

Through initiatives such as the STEMES Project, we focus on teenage mothers and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence equipping them with vocational skills, entrepreneurship training and practical digital tools that lead to jobs, small businesses and stable sources of income. By integrating technology into skills training, we are also helping to close the digital divide that has long excluded rural communities from modern markets, information and opportunities.

Over 200 young people have gone through our skilling programmes, starting businesses, finding work and supporting their families with dignity. When our beneficiaries build income, confidence and independence this reduces dependence on abusive relationships and strengthens safety and resilience for women and girls.