EVAS is a social and solidarity economy project targeting 15 rural women from Sidi Makhlouf, aged 18–35 with a higher-education level. The planned activities are training courses in cold-process soap-making techniques and soap packaging, in order to foster the socio-economic development of rural women; the project will conclude with the creation of a women’s cooperative and a regional fair of craft products.
From 15 to 18 August, our future entrepreneurs held their first training in soap-making techniques (“cold saponification”) at the PAM cosmétiques laboratory of the business incubator, after an HP LIFE training on business management aimed at promoting the social and solidarity economy, better economic and social inclusion, and a contribution to the creation of wealth and jobs. Over four days, 17 women learned to produce different kinds of soap (liquid, solid) with various organic ingredients (honey, essential oils), before continuing with packaging techniques and the creation of the women’s cooperative.
“In the developed world, the social and solidarity economy is the third pillar of the economy; in some countries it exceeds 10% of GDP” – remarks by Mr Fadhel Abdelkefi, then Minister of Investment and International Cooperation and acting Minister of Finance, at the national conference on the social and solidarity economy as a lever for development in Tunisia, underlining its importance in this transitional period.
