Capital: Tunis
Area: 163,610 km²
Population: 10.1 million (July 2005 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arabs
Official language(s): Arabic
Religion(s): Muslim
Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar = 1,000 millimes
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
In 1981 an agreement was signed between the government of Tunisia, represented by the Ministry for Youth and Sport and SOS-Kinderdorf International, represented by Hermann Gmeiner. That same year a national association was founded as a legal body to carry out the SOS Children's Village work in the country. Also in the same year, construction started on two SOS Children's Villages and the first children were able to move into both SOS Children's Village Siliana, in the northwest of the country and into SOS Children's Village Gammarth, situated north of the capital, Tunis, in 1983.
The SOS Kindergartens, which were constructed at the same time on the SOS Children's Village grounds, are also open to children from the neighbourhood. Since 1989 the youths who have outgrown the SOS Children's Villages now have specially built SOS Youth Facilities in which they are cared for. Here they learn how to stand on their own two feet and are prepared to live on their own. Thanks to the Tunisian government's good will and the commitment of the wife of the President of the Republic Tunisia, Mrs. Leila Ben Ali, it was possible to add a library and a children's club in Gammarth in 1992.
The third Tunisian SOS Children's Village and kindergarten went into operation in Mahrès, a small village on the Mediterranean coast, south of the town of Sfax in the year 2000.
Since the beginning of 2006 family strengthening programmes are carried out in all three locations of the SOS Children’s Villages. The aim is to enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages Tunisia works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
Due to the strong need for long-term-family based care the two SOS Children’s Villages Gammarth and Mahrès were extended by one respectively three family houses. The extension works were finished in 2007.
At present there are three SOS Children’s Villages in Tunisia, two SOS Youth Facilities, three SOS Kindergartens, four SOS Social Centres (Family Strengthening) and a SOS mother and staff training centre. One SOS Youth Facility is under construction and a fourth SOS Children’s Village is planned in Akouda.
Website of SOS Children's Villages Tunisia
(available in French)