Tunisians Working To Better Their Communities
Khatwa khatwa, or step by step, young leaders are leading their country forward
Tunisia’s 2011 revolution was a powerful expression of Tunisians’ desire for economic, social and political dignity. Since that time, the Tunisian Government has embarked on a series of reforms and efforts to improve the quality of governance, advance administrative reforms, fight corruption, increase social inclusion and reduce regional disparities.
The process toward an inclusive and prosperous democratic society has come with challenges, but the progress forward has been, and will be, driven by the multitude of efforts that Tunisian citizens make every day.
USAID is working to support the people of Tunisia through focused economic growth, and democracy and governance programs that help businesses grow, communities develop and local governments improve the services delivered to citizens.
Young Tunisians were some of the loudest voices clamoring for change in 2011, demanding dignity and opportunities to build their lives and contribute to their communities.
USAID works with youth in some of the most marginalized and disadvantaged communities, giving them tools, resources and confidence to become proactive agents of change and to give voice to the vision they have for their country.
Firas, a teenager living in Ettadhamen, a suburb of Tunis, won a gold medal for boxing in the regional and national championships in Tunisia this year. Firas and some 200 Tunisian youth participate in sports like boxing, judo, soccer and triathlons at the Ettadhamen Sports Center, which was renovated and expanded in March 2018 with USAID’s support. These programs give youth in underserved communities the opportunity to develop new skills, become leaders in their communities, and build the confidence to take on the challenges they face.
This came after USAID, in 2017, supported a “youth mapping” exercise in the Ettadhamen community, which found that young people were frustrated by the dearth of local opportunities, especially related to sports. Organizations lacked basic materials and infrastructure, which resulted in a low levels of youth engagement. The goal of the local Youth Mappers was to identify community-level challenges, and develop community-driven actions to address them. One outcome of the mapping effort was refurbishing and equipping the youth sports center in Ettadhamen.
One young athlete named Siwar says she can see a remarkable change since the sports complex was built.
“We didn’t have a youth center nor clubs before,” Siwar said. “We didn’t have spaces to do our trainings. Before, sessions happened in the park where we found delinquent youth. The same spaces have become safer: the park and the youth center. Even the number of youth coming every day has significantly increased with the new materials, the new youth center and the renovation and installations in the park.”
The positive effect of this youth center is just one example of how USAID is partnering with Tunisians at the community level to drive positive change. More than just sports and recreational activities, our partnership with the government is helping to provide young people from diverse social backgrounds with a safe space to grow, to build relationships and to become voices for resilience. They will be leaders in creating a vision of how Tunisia’s democracy can meet the needs of citizens.
Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, was a major driver of the revolution and an area of focus identified by the Tunisian Government, which sought USAID’s help to address the problem. For Tunisian youth, opportunities to work, contribute to their communities and lay the foundation for their adult lives is an urgent issue. For the country at large, it is a critical component to strengthening the middle class and providing the economic underpinnings for the country’s democratic and economic development.
Zina, an entrepreneur in the Sidi Bouzid governorate of Tunisia, launched an engraving and woodcutting business in 2015, with a lot of hard work, determination and help from USAID. Her modest business began in her home. Now her dream of building a business to support her family and community is becoming a reality. Through a USAID project, she participated in two business coaching trainings and has since hired two full-time employees and one seasonal employee, and procured more sophisticated machinery.
“Starting your business is not easy, it is very stressful, you have to go as you say in Tunisian khatwa khatwa, step by step, to succeed,” she explains. “You have to mitigate risks and have a lot of patience while remaining optimistic, no matter what.”
USAID is working to generate employment opportunities for young men and women like Zina in 14 disadvantaged governorates of Tunisia by providing direct support to entrepreneurs through technical assistance, training and business coaching. We are also working to support small- and medium-sized businesses unlock bottlenecks and leverage growth opportunities to expand their operations and hire more skilled, motivated young Tunisians. With our help, the Government of Tunisia is also reviewing important and complicated economic policy reforms that have the potential to further stimulate economic growth.
Tunisians have more work ahead to fulfill the demands and promise of the revolution. The road is not easy, nor without its setbacks and hurdles, but the daily efforts by Tunisian citizens to strengthen their communities, build businesses and contribute to the vision of Tunisia’s inclusive and prosperous democratic future will be the force that moves the country forward.
USAID is proud to partner with Tunisians to support their journey, and we will continue to stand by Firas, Siwar, Zina and millions of other Tunisians who are building the country’s future every day.
About the Author
Peter Riley is the Senior Development Advisor for USAID’s mission in Tunisia. Follow our work in the region at @USAIDMiddleEast.
