Once Tunisians have been conciliated with the values of tolerance and mutual help that are deeply-entrenched in their Arab-Muslim identity, a special place has been accorded to solidarity as a basic value of the New Era's civilisational project.

A grass-roots politician as he is, President Ben Ali has been used to making unexpected visits all over the country to look into citizens' living conditions, to come up with appropriate solutions to improve them, and to make sure that all decisions taken have been followed up.

His December 4, 1992 visit to “Zouakra” and “Barrama” in the north-west of the country was a historic one. On that day, the President made close contact with a fringe of the population living in areas that are completely isolated, deprived of the most basic amenities of liferoads, drinking water, electricity, schools, decent housing, health care centers, etc.

Given the very high cost of building a basic infrastructure in these areas where the projects' economic profitability is uncertain, the economic and social development of these “shadow areas” might well be postponed ever further into an indefinite future. Much to the gravity of the situation, no economic base, job opportunities and sources of income existed in these areas.

Faced with this awful situation, President Ben Ali reacted immediately : On December 8, 1992, he decided to create a National Solidarity Fund to help people emerge from these “shadow areas”, and enjoy, just like their fellow citizens, their natural right to lead a better life based on dignity and well-being.

To translate this initiative into fact, he called upon the conscience of all Tunisians to support the state's efforts. A postal account 26-26 was opened to receive citizens' donations. There was a spontaneous adherence to this humanitarian project, and the number of donors has remarkably increased from 180,000 in 1994 to more than 2 million in 2002.

To reduce the isolation of “shadow areas”;
To improve the living conditions of their inhabitants;
To guarantee an economic base in these areas through income-generating projects;
To integrate the beneficiaries within the development process, helping them establish their own micro-projects buy providing them with funding (donations and credits);

Once this integration process has been achieved, the projects will from then on be financed by the Tunisian Bank of Solidarity (BTS), established to this end in 1998. This approach has been reinforced by instituting a system of micro-credits granted by development associations working in close collaboration with the BTS.

Guaranteeing the basic and natural rights to this fringe of the population:
  The right to health, education and culture,
  The right to economic integration via income-generating or direct employment projects
  Contribute to reducing the poverty rate.


Since it was established in 1993, the Fund’s interventions have covered 1817 areas and benefited 255,973 families, i.e. 1.3 million individuals. Over 857 million dinars have been allocated to these interventions.

The Fund’s interventions have significantly improved development indicators in rural areas :
The electrification rate has increased by 26% and reached 98.7% in 2006, against 53% in 1992. In this regard, the Fund’s contribution covered 72,800 families, for a cost of 146.327 million dinars;
The drinking water supply rate reached 92.6% in 2006, against 49.5% in 1992. In this regard, the Fund’s contribution (70%) covered 83,897 families, for a cost of 109.021 million dinars;
The network of roads and tracks has been rehabilitated : 4,530.7 km of roads and tracks have been constructed, for a cost of 226.897 million dinars;
Decent houses have been made available to 64,776 families (39,884 houses have been built and 24,892 improved, with costs amounting to 215.328 million dinars);
140 basic healthcare centers have been constructed, for a cost of 6.277 million dinars;
133 schools have been built, for a cost of 4.03 million dinars.
Income-generating projects have been created for 61,471 beneficiaries, with costs amounting to 87.890 million dinars;
Other interventions include: leisure areas, maintenance of schools, rehabilitation of centers for the disabled, environmental projects, handicrafts areas,…).
   

Main projects for the current period (2006-2007) :
 
The Presidential project for the development of “popular neighborhoods” located around the capital and the major cities. This project covers 26 neighborhoods in various regions of the country, and is being implemented over 3 years (2007-2008-2009), for an estimated cost of 114.5 million dinars, of which 75 million dinars financed by the National Solidarity Fund. Ten “popular neighborhoods” are planned for 2007. These projects are being pursued, and some of them have reached an advanced stage of implementation.
Infrastructure projects in border areas, with total costs amounting to 5,759 MD.
A program for fencing schools, to which 4 MD were allocated as part of the 2006 Budget, implemented in partnership with the National Employment Fund (21-21) which bears the costs of manpower.
Pilot projects (infrastructure, housing, collective facilities…) established for a number of rural areas, such as the project for the development and rehabilitation of “Al-Houidh” area in the Delegation of Utique (Governorate of Bizerte), whose cost amounts to 2.5 MD.
Completing the project of building 50 houses in Hammam-Lif for the re-housing of 50 needy families, with a cost amounting to 1.150 MD.
A project for re-housing 40 families living in “El Fatah” city in Soukra (Governorate of Ariana) and 14 families living in “Oued el-Jiffa” in Hammam Lif,  with costs amounting to 1.350 MD.
Infrastructure projects and handicrafts areas in priority delegations, for a cost of 902 thousand dinars.
Following up the projects carried out by the Fund (rehabilitation and enlargement of “Ennasr” city in Mateur, basic healthcare centers, leisure areas), for costs amounting to 1.185 MD.
Digital solidarity: Offering 684 computers to distinguished pupils and students, for a cost of 902.127 MD.
 

« Shadow areas » are isolated or not-easily-accessible rural zones, deprived of basic facilities and collective equipments, with vulnerable inhabitants whose income depends on survivalist agricultural activities with low returns.

The zones eligible for the interventions of the Fund are chosen according to the following criteria:

Absence of basic equipments and collective facilities;
Poverty of the area and its inhabitants, generally due to the lack of natural resources or the absence of diversified economic activities;
Isolation, i.e. absence or inadequacy of means of communication and transport between the area and other adjacent towns and villages;
Non-eligibility of the area to national or regional programs, given the high cost of interventions;
Existence of at least 30 families living in the zone.