TAYP & IYF common concerns: Social Entrepreneurship and Youth Employability
TAYP partnered with IYF Tunisia on “Tunisia Works”, an initiative supported by MEPI and designed to strengthen the capacity of local Tunisian organizations in order to better support youth employability, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement projects in different regions across Tunisia.
Through “Tunisia Works”, TAYP had the chance to contribute in reviewing and improving the Mentoring program promoted by ATUPEE – an NGO focusing on Entrepreneurship and Spin-off ventures. TAYP has also crafted a specific training program on Entrepreneurship & Employability, which has benefited some 20 participants from different Tunisian associations recruited by IYF.
Under the Tunisia Chapter team, led by Mondher Khanfir, with the contribution and support of Ali Mnif and Sana Karray, a three days capacity building seminar has been organized enabling the participants to learn more about Social Business and to benchmark different experiences in the world related with Social Innovation and its potential impact in terms of jobs creation.
Some business cases has been presented and analyzed during the workshops in order to help participants identify from their own perspectives some specific problems/opportunities, and to formulate some concrete initiatives to be implemented by their associations. The participants ended with two relevant projects, one providing a new approach for scholarship assistance dedicated to needy families and a second one addressing the issue of the fruits and vegetables distribution in marginalized areas.
It was a very enriching experience with very motivated and engaged attendees from different regions and social classes. It confirmed that there is a momentum in Tunisia for the emergence of an alternative economy with a new social and economic approach based on civil society leadership.
With suitable funding instruments such as micro finance, there is a potential to develop a lot of SMEs in disadvantaged areas, retain the rural exodus and promote specific sectors that will definitely constitute the engine of social and economic development in Tunisia.
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Mohamed Malouche