Devoted to our social commitment and strengthened by our institutional roots in Tunisia, enda inter-arabe has put in place business development services for micro-entrepreneurs to help them manage and improve their businesses, as well as to enhance their personal skills. These services mainly focus on two areas:
• Skill-building of micro-entrepreneurs
• Women’s empowerment.
Services are made possible by enda's large network of national partners and an efficient information management system. In effect, enda-ia serves as an interface between borrowers and various government development programmes and initiatives to promote the private sector such as the Fund to Develop Export Markets (FAMEX) and the National Agency for Employment and Independent Work (ANETI).
The partnership with FAMEX, a government mechanism for promoting exports of competitive Tunisian products, has helped enda-ia customers, through specialised training, to improve the quality of their products and gain access to international markets in France, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
The partnership with the large ANETI network has made it possible to run training sessions for an increasing number of micro-entrepreneurs that focus on both technical areas and financial management. These specialised sessions are often subsidised and have helped customers enhance the quality of their products and learn new skills.
The positive impact of these support services on enda inter-arabe’s customers in terms of improving incomes and livelihoods has been confirmed by an assessment done within the framework of the Women Entrepreneurs in the Mediterranean programme (2006-2008 and partially financed by the European Commission).enda-ia also organises discussion circles that, with the collaboration of specialists from different fields (legal aid, health, finance…), provide information and awareness of a large spectrum of subjects (taxes, HIV/AIDS prevention, women’s rights, citizenship, family, socio-cultural obstacles, the environment, etc.). These discussion circles mainly attract women and, according to many participants, provide a safe environment where they can express themselves and openly share with others. Additionally, business diagnosis and advisory services are provided by Tunisian consultants who have substantial knowledge and experience with micro-enterprises in Tunisia. The objective is to provide additional support for micro-entrepreneurs who have a high potential for development by enabling them to:
• Better know and understand their activity
• Acquire good management skills
• Prepare a business plan
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