TUI Futureshapers Tunisia and Egypt
Despite significant efforts to expand educational access, young people in both Egypt and Tunisia continue to face gaps in the quality and relevance of education and vocational training. Unemployment rates remain high in both countries, especially for young women in marginalised regions and in tourism-dependent communities.
The programme builds on the successful implementation of the TUI Futureshapers programme in Tunisia during 2023-mid 2025 and continues with further expansion in Tunisia and Egypt. TUI Futureshapers Tunisia and Egypt trains female mentors to deliver mentoring sessions to their peers and engage young Tunisian and Egyptian women to focus on education, employment and health. It provides mentees with peer-to-peer mentorship for personal and career development which will support them in launching their own tourism-related entrepreneurship businesses in Tunisia and Egypt.
Despite a strong education system, unemployment in both Tunisia and Egypt is high, especially among female graduates. Τhe problem is even more evident in tourism-dependent, yet economically disadvantaged areas, like Monastir and Mahdia in Tunisia and Hurghada in Egypt, due to lack or significant fluctuations in employment opportunities.
One reason for the persistently high unemployment rates is the limited access that young people have to quality education and vocational training, as well as lack of knowledge and life skills around which career to pursue. Developing in these areas would help them thrive in dynamic sectors such as tourism, creative industries and entrepreneurship.
Additionally, in both countries, gender disparities in employment and education remain a significant challenge. In Egypt,
traditional societal norms continue to restrict young women's access to education and career opportunities. Tunisia, meanwhile, is more progressive in some aspects of gender equality, but also faces persistent challenges regarding women's economic participation, especially in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. And although both Tunisia and Egypt have emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems, young people struggle to access the support needed to start and sustain their ventures, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds.
The TUI Care Foundation, in partnership with Mentor Arabia, is tackling these challenges through its TUI Futureshapers programme in Monstir and Mahdia, Tunisia and in Hurghada, Egypt. The project builds the capacity of 80 female mentors, enabling them to deliver mentoring sessions to 800 young women from Tunisia and Egypt aged between 18 – 28.
Peer-to-peer mentoring sessions cover a range of essential life skills necessary for success in both personal and professional spheres. Additionally, participants gain access to an online entrepreneurship course, guiding them through business ideation and development, with a focus on tourism and creative industries.
A highlight of the programme is three exciting entrepreneurship competitions, two in Tunisia and one in Egypt, where participants showcase their learning and present their entrepreneurial ideas and projects. These competitions are the culmination of the programme, with participants pitching their projects to a distinguished panel of judges. Winners receive recognition for their innovative ideas, access to seed funding and ongoing support to transform their visions into thriving ventures, so that twelve new female-led social enterprises are established and supported, eight in Tunisia and four in Egypt.
Project Partner
The Mentor Arabia Foundation is the regional branch of Mentor International, and its mission is to empower children and youth to prevent risky behaviours through policies, capacity development, knowledge, and partnerships.
Website: https://mentorarabia.org/
