In the Cap-Bon region, Tunisia, the vocational training centre ‘La Découpe’ in Hammamet offers a comprehensive sewing course aimed at teaching basic techniques, enabling participants to embark on the eco-responsible creation of clothing, and introducing them to the professional world of women’s entrepreneurship through the textile sector.

“Our mission is to restore confidence in women who are distant from the labour market by equipping them with a career that offers both a future and a passion. Today, we are seeing a real shift in awareness among our trainees: they no longer just want to create clothes; they want to create meaning.” says Ms Lamia Mrad, founder of the centre.

During a visit to the Tiers-Lieu in Hammamet on 16 September 2026, ‘La Découpe’ and the AERE signed a partnership agreement with several objectives: to offer complementary training modules in eco-design and green business models, to support the creation of eco-responsible textile micro-enterprises, and to provide future craftswomen with access to a space for networking and promotion across the Mediterranean region.

“The AERE’s future MERAVIGLIA Third-place represents a wonderful opportunity for us to continue supporting the trainees – the craftswomen of ‘La Découpe’ – by helping our graduates transform their creative ideas into viable eco-enterprises rooted in their local communities”, says the centre’s founder. This view is shared by the trainees, who highlight their need for training in green business management and the need to develop their networks to raise awareness of their businesses.

This partnership is perfectly aligned with the AERE’s future MERAVIGLIA ‘third place’. It demonstrates that the textile sector, one of the region’s economic pillars, holds tremendous potential for ecological transition through circularity, the use of sustainable materials and respect for biodiversity.