By Elizabeth R. Auma K, Trade Policy Leader/Bridging Policy, People & Purpose/ Founder, Hearts&Trade

On a number of occasions after work, as I walked downtown toward the taxi park, one thing became clearer; there were countless points selling products worth as little as UGX 500. I stopped by a popcorn machine and the number of those who bought for the smallest value that could be offered seemed more than any other purchase. Many men and women carried black polythene bags (kaveras) as they hurried toward the taxis, hoping to secure a comfortable seat before transport fares increased with demand.

As I settled into the side seat of an old mini bus, the conductor announced an increase in the fare by UGX 500. Almost immediately, half the passengers stepped out. A few remained, either unbothered or perhaps too tired to wait for the next taxi or bus. Shortly afterward, one of the taxi park scouts arrived and sternly warned the driver against increasing the fare. Fuel prices had risen, but that alone was not sufficient reason to charge beyond the rates approved by the park.

As the bus slowly filled and prepared to depart, I found myself observing the people around me. An elderly man sat quietly eating fene (jackfruit), worth perhaps UGX 500. Looking at him, I wondered whether it was simply a snack or the only meal he would have that day. Nearby, a lady was trying to sell a second-hand dress to another passenger who seemed more a friend than customer. Others sat quietly, lost in thought.

A few minutes into the journey, a local song began to play. One of those songs that gently restores hope; “Mukama, nkwebaza” meaning Lord, I thank You. I noticed lips moving quietly in response. No one was singing loudly, but many seemed to be drawing comfort from the words.

As I reflected on the journey, another thought came to mind. Supermarkets usually provide white shopping bags. Downtown, however, most people carried black polythene bags which required two pieces to carry a heavy product. It may seem like a small detail, but it spoke policy volumes. It suggests that many shoppers downtown are purchasing their necessities from roadside vendors and informal markets where prices are more affordable. Every coin mattered followed by careful counting when a change was involved. Unlike the uptown supermarkets where any of the three alternatives was used bank cards,cash or mobile money payments, downtown largely operates as a cash economy.

The week -long experience taught me several lessons:

1. When discussing an economy, it is easy to categorize businesses as small, medium, or large enterprises. Yet those categories may fail to capture the realities of people’s lives. To develop effective policy, we must effectively understand the circumstances behind the categorization.
2. The black polythene bag (Kavera) may appear ordinary, but what does it contain? How many people are depending on its contents? How many meals must it provide before the next one? How many difficult decisions were made before those purchases were made?
3. I appreciate that supermarket shoppers also face genuine challenges. However, they often have more visibility and stronger representation in policy discussions compared to the daily Kavera holder; many of whom may neither understand policy language nor speak the language in which policy is written. This may lead to them easily being misrepresented.

This realization challenged me as a policy practitioner. If policy is to be effective, inclusion must extend beyond gender, geography, or formal representation. It must reach into the everyday realities of the people whose lives it seeks to improve.

A fifteen year journey in trade policy has taught me that reports tell us the state of the economy, but people tell us the lived story. To understand both, one needs to leave the boardroom and observe everyday life in a taxi park, in the reaction to a UGX 500 fare increase, in a piece of jackfruit serving as a meal, or in the contents of a black polythene bag. It is often in these ordinary moments that one gets to appreciate further that trade policy is the people who create the statistics every day.

Trade policy therefore becomes most effective in transforming the lives of citizens when it begins not with statistics, but with an understanding of the people behind them.

I would like to hear from you on the simple everyday things that changed the way you look at the economy