Tozeur is renowned as a region rich in date production and also a top-rated tourist destination at the gateway to the Tunisian desert. But today, many young Tunisian entrepreneurs, such as Farida Laimech, promoter of Decopalm, see it as something more. They are aware of the stakes involved in protecting the environment and the importance…

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Naouel Hammi was born and raised in the palm grove of Tozeur – a tourism region which generates its income mainly from dates and oasis agriculture. Naouel is a housewife and mother of three. Three years ago, at 42-year-old, she decided to fulfill an old dream. Like many strong women in the south of Tunisia,…

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In Tozeur, at the gateway to the desert, 27-year-old Ali Lain is busy in his modern laser cutting and engraving workshop, finishing his latest handicraft creation. At the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ali took a week off to return to his hometown in Nefta. A young technician in industrial maintenance, he spent three…

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Safa Hachani is a young woman entrepreneur who is inspiring and motivating others in her region. In Nefta, she proves that the potential of southern Tunisia is also found elsewhere than in the promotion of natural products, by opening a vocational training school in Nefta. Safa’s journey over the past 10 years is strongly marked…

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Entrepreneurs in Southern Tunisia face a unique set of challenges; from navigating underdeveloped infrastructure to accessing information or surviving the business slow-down during the scorching summer. Yet there is rising optimism among local small business owners, including those supported by the USAID-funded Mashrou3i project, who are taking advantage of the region’s diverse untapped opportunities. With…

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While digital printing is in full swing in Tunis, it’s still early days for the sector in Tozeur, southwestern Tunisia. Aware of this business opportunity, Monia Jhimi launched Créapub, a digital printing company specialized in personalized gifts. After graduating in Graphic Design from Kairouan’s Higher Institute of Arts and Crafts, Monia knew that she wanted…

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In a residential area of Tozeur, where many people live and various small shops can be found, we meet Majdi Khotbi. The artisan has launched a carpentry workshop that promotes date palms, a product well known in the region, and is turning the wood into innovative furniture. We quickly recognize Majdi’s passion for carpentry. “When…

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An idea, know-how and a dose of courage turn a region’s challenges into a source of value creation. Ahlem Chortani and Mohamed El Arbi saw an opportunity in the valorization of palm by-products and created their businesses in southwestern Tunisia, thanks to the support of Mashrou3i. Renowned for the production of dates, the region’s main…

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Houyem Hafsi is a motivated and confident young woman from the region of Tozeur. Guided by her ambitions, in February 2017 she launched El Houyem Noyal Coffee in Nefta, a company producing a coffee based on dates, which already employs 6 people. “The idea came to me many years ago, we were already enjoying the…

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