SOS Children in Tunisia
Tunisia is in northern Africa on the shores of the Mediterranean, and bordered by Algeria and Libya to the west and south. It has a population of over 9.6 million, mostly Arabic peoples. Agriculture and tourism, employing over 40 per cent of the labour force, are the main industries. Despite a high degree of development, Tunisia has many social problems particularly in urban areas where unemployment is high and slum areas proliferate.
SOS Children has three communities in Tunisia. The charity opened its Siliana community in 1983. A provincial capital in central Tunisia, 130 km south-west of Tunis, Siliana has a population of 20,000, most of whom are employed in agriculture. The SOS Children site is on the edge of the town, built in traditional Arabic style and surrounded by mountains, cypress and pine trees. The eleven family houses each have their own vegetable garden. As well as the family houses, there are two youth houses where the older children can take their first guided steps towards independence while finishing their education or vocational training in the village's agricultural training workshop. An SOS nursery has room for 100 children, who come from the local community as well as the SOS families.
The charity's Gammarth community is in a northern suburb of Tunis, La Marsa, and about 20 km from the city centre. Gammarth is an historic village of about 6000 people near the ancient site of Carthage. The community, on the site of an old olive grove, has ten family houses, built in traditional style and a youth house for the older boys. Like Siliana, there is a nursery where most of the children come from the neighbourhood and an agricultural training centre. There is an elementary school nearby but the nearest secondary schools are in Tunis, easily reached by bus.
The SOS Children's Mahres community in southern Tunisia, which opened in 2001, is 30 km south of Sfax, the second largest city in Tunisia. On the shores of the Mediterranean, the village has ten family houses and a nursery. At the moment, the nearest schools, hospitals and markets are some distance, but the city of Sfax is rapidly expanding which will bring facilities within easier reach of the village.
In 2006 SOS Children established family strengthening programmes in all three locations of the SOS Children’s Villages. These programmes give practical support and counselling to vulnerable children and their families in the local communities near the SOS Children’s Villages. There is a particular focus on poor families and single-parent families.
See also Aids Orphan Projects in Tunisia, Africa
Local Contacts
SOS Children in Tunisia
Association Tunisienne des Villages d'Enfants SOS,Boulevard de L'Environnement,1057 Gammarth, Tunisie
Tel: +216/71 91 96 15 or +216/71 91 96 14
Fax: +216/71 91 96 54
e-mail: bncsos.tunisie@gnet.tn
www.sos-villages.org.tn
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