The Tourists- Abdel Salem

XITALNTS They Came Back: Mariyam Download Mariyam: Dar Omma A country home in Makthar Green rolling hills, apple and cherry trees, these images are not what you would expect to find in Tunisia. But in the northeast of the country, an ancient little town called Makthar doesn’t fit within the normal picture of Tunisia.  About 3 hours west of Tunis, Myriam and her partner Kareem are managing a small country home nestled in the green wheat fields.  I took some time to explore the area, eat some good food and find out the motivation for Myriam to come back to Tunisia and manage a country home so far from the beaten path.  Next to a crackling fire,r I picked up on a subtle but powerful emotion.  Hope is the heartbeat of this episode.

XITALNTS They Came Back: Zakher Download Zakher: The question of conservation. Growing up in America, conservation was simply apart of life.  It was taught in school, promoted on the TV, experienced in field trips and family vacations. One of my first jobs was a clerk at a local department store and one of my duties was to issue hunting licenses to the sportsmen who would make there was to my home in the central Midwest.  Basically, conservation is an industry, and for good or bad its very much a part of the social conversation in the US.  The same isn’t the case for Tunisia.  Please don’t get me wrong.  Tunisians in general very much love nature and enjoy outings to the coasts and mountains.  But the conversation about societies role in conservation is largely silent.  That’s why I was so excited to meet Zakher and hear how he is playing an active role in calling the Tunisian public to engage in conservation, while doing what he can to influence Tunisian attitudes and policies towards the protection of it natural resources. 

XITALNTS They Came Back: Malik Download Malik: Tissue.tn Tunisia’s first digital market place for textile sourcing, selling fabric and haberdashery. Malik has a charismatic personality, a friendly attitude, and a great command of the English language. Its qualities like these that have given him opportunities to travel, see the world and study abroad. I met Malik at a weekly English hour event and was drawn in by his story.  We met up at Ben Rahim Coffee in SidiBou Said for a cup of coffee and a conversation about how he decided to come back to Tunisia and implement his ideas here.   

XITALNTS They Came Back: Inward Download InWard Whole, Live and Raw Cuisine in Tunis My wife and I travel a lot and one of the joys of traveling is discovering good food.  We are constantly scanning the socials looking for tips on local eats and great atmosphere.  Ambiance, attention to detail and presentation all go into making a meal and experience.   For those of you who live in Tunis, you understand how things are discovered here…its by word of mouth from a trusted source…or sometimes by complete accident.  My wife and I were checking out a new store that specialized in Asian products and we picked up a small package of tofu.  We noticed the sticker on the package and looked it up on Instagram. That is how we discovered Inward, a whole plant, live and raw restaurant located here in Tunis.  We visit the restaurant few days later where we met the owner and chef of Inward.  We were so inspired by Fatima’s, food her attention to detail and her story, we had to get an interview. 

XITALNTS They Came Back: Trailer Download Word on the street is that Tunisians are leaving.  It is estimated that about 100,000 Tunisians leave their country each year.  The Tunisian Ministry of Social affairs holds a lot of data on their citizens who make their way abroad and they say that the main factor for leaving is the search for better employment and better living opportunities.  One piece of data really jumped out at me.  39,000 engineers and 3000 doctors have left in search of greener pastures. I personally know 5 Tunisians who have left since I came to the country in 2018.  Taken on its own, these figures paint a discouraging picture for the future of Tunisia.  The term brain drain has been used to describe the flow of talent from economically challenged countries to those who promise a more comfortable life. Logically the effect would be gaps in the health care and loss of innovation that could create jobs for the country and add to its progress.   As I began this project back in 2020, I began to hear of and interview Tunisians who were stepping up to the challenge and breaking the mold.  They were using their ideas, energy and talents to create a positive impact for the future of their country. The question began to form in my mind…why did they come back?  The episodes in this season focus on Tunisians who had that opportunity to study, work and live abroad. But through various circumstances, they are investing into their country and the future of Tunisia.  Their reasons are different but in the end….They Came Back. 

Abdel Salem has worked in the tourism industry of Tunisia for 25 years as a curio seller. His shop is located in the iconic cliffside village of Sidibou Said, the village of blue and white.

Bassim learned about high quality coffee from youtube and the internet. He picked up Enlgish along the way, helping him land a job in Tunisia's first, 3rd wave coffee shop.

Race works at a small cafe in the cliffside village of Sidibou Said. He uses English to cut through the tangled web of languages that tourists bring to Tunisia.

Oscar has written the first English tour guide written about Tunisia in over 10 years.

Just a few conversations with our friend Ahmad Farhat.