Widu Tunisia is part of the Widu Africa project, the objective of which is to better channel remittances from Tunisians residing abroad to their families or relatives in Tunisia, to help them make value-creating investments (jobs, agriculture , etc.) all sectors combined, with a financial contribution from the project.
Widu Africa is a platform for ” Promoting employment in the informal sector in Africa ” created as part of a project that runs from 2019 to 2023 inclusive, launched in 2019 in Cameroon and Ghana, then extended, in 2022, to 4 other African countries including Tunisia.
The Widu project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ , the German agency for international cooperation.
Remittances from Tunisian residents abroad, which amounted to more than €2.5 billion in 2022, have undeniable potential for the economic development of their country of origin.
The objective of this project is therefore to encourage them to accompany their relatives (parents or friends) in the country in the creation of small or micro enterprises. It particularly encourages business projects initiated by women, and innovative ones with an eco-responsible dimension (achieving zero waste, choosing reconditioned products, opting for local and seasonal dishes, encouraging soft mobility such as cycling, carpooling and even walking, etc.).
The procedure to follow is as follows: the person in Tunisia interested in the Widu project (called an entrepreneur) makes a private investment (for example € 500) with the money that a member of his family abroad (called a donor ) sent him to develop the activities of his micro or small business.
At this point, Widu comes into play and doubles the amount sent by the donor with a grant (eg € 1,000). At the same time, the entrepreneur benefits from professional and individual coaching of 3 free sessions, through a network of Widu coaches, in technical partnership with the Tunisian incubator RedStart.
Note that members of the Tunisian diaspora residing in 7 European countries (Germany, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden) are eligible for the Widu project, along with friends and relatives in Tunisia.
The focus is on micro and small enterprises in the informal economy. A prerequisite is that the partners brought together in the project already know each other. Additionally, they must be prepared to personally invest in the local business of the country.
In 2022, the Widu Tunisia project made it possible to mobilize 1 million Tunisian dinars (MDT), invested in support of 210 companies spread over the 24 governorates of the country, in addition to preserving or creating more than 220 jobs, including 63% of women. It thus boosts local employment and contributes to the economic development of the regions.
It is important to remember that a digital campaign on the Widu project will be launched in the coming days to encourage as many Tunisians living abroad as possible to register on the dedicated platform before February 28, 2023, and to invite their relatives based in Tunisia to finalize their registration.
