Itaf, a woman from Zarzouna, Bizerte, in Tunisia, faced a dramatic life turn when her husband was imprisoned. With two young daughters to care for and no other income source, she became overwhelmed. However, a monthly-cash-transfer program called AMEN (meaning “safety” in Arabic) offered her a lifeline during her time of need. It not only gave her a permanent monthly cash transfer, but also back-to-school cash transfers, annual transfers aligned with religious events, and a health care card to support her family, where all healthcare services were provided for free. Itaf highlighted how the program affected her family’s resilience. “When they open up all the opportunities for you, you become hopeful about the future,” she said.
The Amen Program is a social assistance initiative launched in 2019 with support from the World Bank and implemented by Tunisia's Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). It targets the country's most vulnerable citizens. The program provides Permanent Cash Transfers (PCT), also called monthly cash transfers, medical services, and economic empowerment opportunities. An additional service is also provided for the poorest and most vulnerable: family allowances for children aged 0 to 5 years, estimated at 30 dinars per month, enhancing nutrition, health, and education for children from poor and low-income families. It is currently benefitting almost 156,000 children from 103,000 households enrolled in the AMEN social registry.
By addressing immediate needs and fostering long-term self-sufficiency, AMEN aims to improve the overall wellbeing of its beneficiaries. As of December 2023, the program reached over 333,000 poor households (more than 10% of the population) with monthly cash transfers and more than 620,000 low-income households with free and subsidized healthcare services.
Olfa, a mother of two from Tozeur, is another beneficiary of the program who faced immense difficulties after her husband had an accident. Unable to pay rent for months, she turned to the AMEN program for help. The program provided her with grants for her children, including the family allowance for children under 5 years old along with the PCT, enabling her to stabilize her family's situation. “The cash transfer was really helpful,” she said. 54% of households receiving PCTs are headed by women.
Tunisia has faced significant economic challenges since 2011, worsened by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and severe droughts. With declining GDP growth, high food inflation, and rising poverty and an unemployment rate of 16.4%, many people struggle daily. In this context, the AMEN program providing essential social assistance is helping to mitigate these challenges.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the program efficiently distributed emergency cash transfers to approximately 900,000 households, where more than 630,000 households were already enrolled in the AMEN social registry, demonstrating the program's responsiveness to adapt to such shocks and alleviate economic hardships.
The project has also prioritized digital transformation, with 44.4% of cash transfers now digitalized and over 76% of women beneficiaries receiving payments digitally.
Abdallah is another beneficiary with a physical disability who shared how AMEN’s healthcare services changed his life. From Mornaguia-Manouba, Abdallah experienced severe physical and psychological conditions that left him homebound for over a year. Additionally, he lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic when the private company he worked for shut down. Upon seeking help from the social affairs department, he was provided with a prosthesis through the AMEN program. It helped him regain mobility and a sense of normalcy. "When I used the prosthesis and stood on my legs, I felt like I was born again,” he said.
These are just a few stories from Tunisia on how the AMEN program has had a profound impact. By providing a much-needed social safety net and fostering economic empowerment, the program is contributing to Tunisia's socio-economic development goals. The World Bank Group (WBG) is committed to helping Tunisia with its national development goals as outlined in the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for 2023-2027.
Through the CPF, the WBG will collaborate with the Tunisian government to reduce poverty and build a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for all Tunisians. This approach revolves around three priority areas:
- Human Capital Strengthening: The top of the priorities list and essential for the country's long-term development
- Social Resilience: supporting the government's efforts to strengthen society's capacity to cope with shocks and crises.
- Human Development: Significant investment is allocated to meet immediate needs in human development.
This is why 40% of the World Bank's portfolio in Tunisia is dedicated to government initiatives focused on social resilience and human development, such as the AMEN Program. The World Bank not only provides financial support but also knowledge and expertise to enhance the program's targeting and effectiveness. As Tunisia continues to navigate its economic challenges, programs like AMEN are a beacon of hope and play an essential role in building a more resilient future for all.
