COVID-19 community response in Tunisia driven by youth leaders

The Ma3an project, a USAID program in Tunisia, is working with local stakeholders, civil society organizations, and youth to stabilize vulnerable communities. Despite the country’s democratic revolution in 2011, Tunisian youth still face socioeconomic and political challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initiatives like Ma3an that target communities to reduce the spread of the pandemic also help to mitigate the factors that may make youth more vulnerable to recruitment by violent extremist organizations.

Houssem Ghadess is a young leader who has been volunteering with the Ma3an program in his community since it launched in 2020. He started as a Youth Mapper and later became a Youth Mentor, training his peers in leadership and professional skills. Inspired by the training and the responses of youth in the community, Ghadess founded the Youth Association for Local Development (YALD), a youth-led, youth-serving organization in the Sidi Abdelhamid community in Sousse governorate, with the support of his fellow Youth Mentors.

Since its formation, YALD has supported community efforts to combat COVID-19. The organization organized and trained 40 young community volunteers to conduct a two-day awareness campaign in Sousse, distributing masks and educating people about hygienic practices to prevent the spread of the pandemic. This campaign led to the creation of a mural that communicates the importance of hygiene in combatting COVID-19, a collaboration between local youth and a graffiti artist, which still stands as a reminder of the impact that youth can have when they come together.

YALD also worked with local stakeholders to support vaccination efforts, offering mobile registration services and assisting with coordination at vaccination centers. Within four days of YALD’s involvement, 3000 community members had been registered and vaccinated. The organization’s efforts were well-received by local authorities, who described it as « a miracle of civil society. » YALD’s members were honored by the governor of Sousse for their involvement in managing the vaccination center, which was selected as the best performing center in the state.

YALD and similar peer organizations demonstrate that when youth are empowered with skills, opportunities, and support, they serve as dynamic changemakers in their communities and contribute to efficient interventions that mitigate challenges in their regions. In Tunisia, youth-led initiatives like YALD are essential in helping to overcome socioeconomic and political challenges.