Between 6 and 9 October 2017, Forum Femmes Méditerranée and We Love Sousse organized a workshop on income generating activities in the premises of the guest house "DAR OMI" in Sousse, Tunisia.

The workshop, which was conducted with the support of CAWTAR, the Syndex Foundation and the municipal Council, brought together 15 beneficiaries including 2 restaurant owners, 1 owner of bed and breakfast, 5 craftswomen, 1 producer of "Bissa" (a local product that has nutritional values ​​), volunteers and young women seeking jobs.

The beneficiaries presented income-generating activities in three sectors namely: tourism, hotel services and crafts; and they learned to calculate the cost of products, and to test the SWOT method on 4 projects (The city of Jemmal, crafts, paths of spirituality, and the route of flowers). The beneficiaries also had the chance to test the gastronomic specialities of 3 of the participants: the guesthouse "Dar Omi", the restaurant "Artisan Hergla" and the gastronomic farm.

During the workshop, friendship and links have been created and projects for income-generating activities have been identified by the participants and the organizers. In fact, We Love Sousse and Sousse Tomorrow committed to ensure the implementation of 9 activities identified in partnership with CAWTAR and Forum Femmes Méditerranée, as follows:

1. To organize an exhibition for the paintings of Houda Chelly at the two restaurants involved in the project (Mahdia / Hergla) to help her in selling her artworks.
2. To work on "Paths of Spirituality" by designing a brochure and developing itineraries to visit the tombs and the holly places of revered saints and mystic religious figures in Sousse. The itineraries would promote existing guest houses and local accommodation options.  
3. To set up a tourist tour "The Perfume Route" around the orange blossom in Nabeul and rosehip flower in Zaghouan. These tours would also include guest houses and accommodation places. This could also include the organization of thematic weeks, routes to discover and local festivals.
4. To promote tourism in the city of Jammel by encouraging tourists to visit this isolated city who holds the potential of becoming a crossroads, and that’s by: Ask textile factories to organize open days to the public with discounts OUTLET style; Organize the "Bezine Festival" (local culinary specialty) with contest of the best dish;Promoting the production of local dried tomatoes.
5. Work session coordinated with Sousse Tomorrow to test product development and working time.
6. Test the restaurants for the tours.
7. Participate and cooperate: show craftsmen products in Mahdia and other cities when there are groups of tourists.
8. Find solutions to the problems mentioned in relation to the absence of follow-up / training / cost price / communication / standardization of the crafts / Competition /
9. Organize a training on Gender: explaining of the term gender (method / design) and gender differences (male / female), their rights and social roles.