MEPI Alum of the Month
Moncef Ben Rejeb
Inspired by the history of ancient Carthage, Moncef Ben Rejeb, an alum of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)’s Leaders for Development Fellowship (LDF), created Qartaj.com to help small business and women artisans in rural regions of Tunisia to market their product worldwide. Qartaj.com is the first Tunisian based fairtrade wholesaler of artisanal products.
The LDF program taught Moncef how to infuse his business idea with social entrepreneurship values and better adapt to market trends by collaborating with local designers to translate international market needs to women artisans in Kef, Siliana, and Kairouan. Moncef’s Sustainable Online Market for Farmers project is one example of his focus on social causes. The project helps farmers reduce the chain of intermediary buyers, allowing them to export products directly and capture more of the profit. Qartaj also operates the Face Tunisia project, which supports local female artisans to preserve the Berber culture of Sejnan.
Through his platform, Moncef helped artisans collaborate with designers from their regions to create a new collection of handmade rugs, olive wood items, foutas, and homeware that stayed true to the traditions of generations of women before them. If you are planning to purchase Tunisian goods for Ramadan, https://qartaj.com/ offers you the best collection of authentic artisanal products. Your purchase will not only support this promising entrepreneur; it will also help rural women put food on their Iftar tables.
