We count on you to achieve our goal

We wish to buy sheeps, rabbits and budgerigars for three therapeutic farms in Tunisia in order to help young people suffering from mental handicap.

« They all dream of a normal life, but most of the time it is a long way to being accepted as they are by the tunisian society. Therapeutic farms may well contribute to achieve the integration of young people in situation of mental handicap. »
- Santé Sud Infos, December 2013

Context

In the framework of a larger project which aims at improving the socioeconomic integration of young people suffering from mental handicap in Tunisia, the French NGO Santé Sud (based in Marseille) has implemented therapeutic farms in three day centers which welcome them in the rural settlements of Sidi Bouzid, Ghardimaou and Testour (Tunisia).Those farms, along with the workshops of pastery, seam and weaving, enable them to explore their potentials and to develop new psychomotor abilities. Thanks to animals, that play the role of mediators, and agricultural activities, they manage to increase their psychological and social development and to achieve socioprofessional integration.

When mental disabilities mean social exclusion…

As it is the case in many countries, one can find that people concerned with a handicap may be marginalized from the Tunisian society. In some extreme cases, children may ben hidden, or even locked up so no one can witness their disability. Thus, these centers provide them with a welcoming environment, as well as with a chance to developp their abilities and true confidence. Some acquire such skills that they actually turn out making farming their vocation. Unfortunately, most centers are short of resources, which prevents them from training their staff or get the necessary furnitures.

Who is Santé Sud ?

Santé Sud is a French international solidarity NGO funded in 1984 by doctors facing the limits of emergency aid. Along with its moto « Act without replacing », its members believe that developping countries have the necessary potential to take care of their people and that they should be the ones to choose the means of their development. This is the reason why Santé Sud’s prioritary mission is to reinforce the health structures as well as the sanitary and psycho-social staff in these countries according to their needs and wishes.

Santé Sud has been working for 30 years in about thirty countries worldwide. It was rewarded several times and received the price for associative transparency.

To learn more about our project, see our newsletter from December 2013 « Mental handicap in Tunisia – farms to grow autonomy »