Building on the learning and successes from three prior phases of the Community Development Project (CDP) in rural districts in the south of Tunisia, and with a goal of bringing transformational development to seven rural communities by the end of 2023, CDP IV launched in November 2022 following consultations with local community leaders in the first of these seven communities, Taoujout.
The Taoujout community celebrates and seeks to preserve its Amazigh (Berber) heritage. The project seeks to help local women share their rug-making traditions within the community, and then share those traditional Berber rugs with the world to generate income for their families and communities. 17 women with previous experience of traditional weaving from Taoujout will be trained and receive a certificate of participation – such a certificate is a pre-requisite to have access to national fairs and exhibitions.
As the community in Taoujout begins its training and rug making work, ACT and its partners will continue the cycle of building relationships with six other rural communities from the same region to develop projects to address their community needs. Priority will be given to groups composed entirely or primarily of women, with a special attention to women in a precarious situation, in keeping with ACT’s efforts to focus our projects on the most vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged groups.
