APIS VAGA is the story of a honey. The story of a meeting, a love at the first sight between a bee and a land; That of Vaga (Beja) Khroumirie earth, Dougga and Medjerda.
Just 5 kilometers from Tebourssouk, I have an appointment with young people, those that are seen sitting in cafes and that we hear about depression, to leave the country, unemployment, … .They are named Ahmed, Sleh, Houssem, Dorsaf ….
Dressed as beekeepers, they surround the instructor they call “My teacher” with respect and eagerly await the team of Entrepreneurship Centre and Endogenous Development (CEDE), charged by the International Labour Office (ILO) of ensuring the implementation of a component of PEJTUN program. (For further information: https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=oPGEXZpE2EQ ) A program financed by the Danish Cooperation DANIDA.
Far from the air-conditioned offices, issues of international cooperation and dedicated funds to NGOs, such programs are changing the destiny of the beneficiaries. Here are some 100 young people whose fate rocks in six months.
Ahmed is one of them. He said to have been subscriber unemployed, without irony, but is pleased to participate in this program which is spread over the Northwest governorates of Seliana, Jendouba and Beja. On this latter region, it aims to create over 400 jobs and supports more than 500 hives and equipment in 5 delegations from the North West region namely Amdoun, Testour Tebourssouk, Nefza and Thibar. The project develops this way 1 direct job and 3 indirect jobs. In beekeeping, hives multiply very quickly and the breakeven point can be reached from 15 hives.
Today, beekeepers gathered in Cooperative go into high gear. They must make the first harvest of the precious nectar, fill the bottles, affix the label and finally prepare their participation in the Agricultural Show in SIAT 2016 .
Mr. Ezzedine Ben Hdid, program coordinator and representative of civil society Tebourssouk, for CEDE is particularly happy with this program to motivate and bring youth to an entrepreneurial logic supporting training in beekeeping and sales techniques, financial management … He said: “Before the program had given young people a production tool without opening horizons. After some time, the young sold not knowing what to do with it, having developed neither projects nor visions. Today, we work differently. We implement comprehensive training and support programs. This changes everything. Young people are passionate, own a trade and project into the future. They really regain hope … ”
And this is where the project is punchy and is likely to be sustainable. It is part of a logic of solidarity and participatory economy to bring the values of a market for ethical products. APIS currently VAGA is on the market SIAT Fair 2016. A shop is being created, a number of market access tracks are launched …
VAGA Apis was born.
A honey tasting of flower,  thyme, rosemary, eucalyptus but above all to the taste of a dream comes true.
Amel DJAIT