The "Trade for Peace" Project in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger (The Liptako-Gourma Region), with funding from the Government of Japan, aimed to strengthen the resilience of communities to vulnerabilities related to protracted conflicts, the effects of climate change, and more recently, the adverse impact of COVID-19. The project made the assumption that, in order to strengthen social cohesion and consolidate peace, communities must come together around common socio-economic interests. By creating an enabling environment for integration through income-generating activities and cross-border trade, mutual understanding and dialogue between border communities will flourish. 

The manga publication is a depiction of real-life experiences of people living in the Liptako-Gourma Region, to give a platform to communities to elevate their voices about their communities. It is a slice of life meant to showcase the resilience of cross-border communities and to allow local, regional, and global audiences and partners to support in areas that will catalyze development. 

The manga piece was produced by renowned artist, Rene Hoshino, who is Japanese of African descent.