A Tunisian family: High hopes, desperate lives | Al Jazeera World Documentary

Family, feuds and the future: the Tormsi family, struggling to make ends meet, reflects on the lack of opportunities in Tunisia today - and the older children especially weigh up their options.
There is little money for the family of six that is heavily dependent on their ageing father and the eldest son. Some hard choices need to be made. The two teenage boys consider whether to complete their education in Tunisia or risk everything by taking an illegal boat trip to Europe. They think they stand a better chance of getting European residency if they land in Europe as minors - but their agonising choice has no certain outcome.
The parents balance the reality of trying to feed their family against the aspirations of the younger generation. They want different opportunities, careers, experiences, and modern consumer goods - all of which are unattainable on a brick labourer’s wage in a struggling economy.
Like many around them, the Tormsi family have largely given up on Tunisian politics and are disillusioned about the near future. The 2011 revolution offered high hopes for the nation, but many people remain poor and this optimism has faded. Despite the difficulties, the family retain a degree of positivity and believe there are many other Tunisians worse off than them.
#Documentary #Tunisia #Immigration

[@enna4998]

I’m from Armenia and this is literally what my country also goes through…

[@MissJ000]

That poor dad. He works so hard for his family and then gets diagnosed with cancer? Wow 😣

[@aladdin3959]

I know, then died in 10/ 2021😔, according to the comment above, RIP hard working man, May Allah protect & be with his family left behind.

[@adamyare9554]

God bless this family. Tunisians have a rich and beautiful culture, quit similar to our Somali culture. But they seem very educated. The way Mahmoud speak makes me question his age...very smart. And Yassin is so cute and innocent...he just wants to live as a his kid life but apparently it's impossible. My heart and prayers to the father. May Allah help all those suffering.

[@markdoyle5016]

As salam alaykum warahmatullah wabarakatuh may Allah swt accept our dua an an increased you into doing good deeds

[@bilalabawi9064]

Ameen

[@telgou]

Unfortunately the father died on 21 october 2021, 15 days after the video was posted. I saw it on his children's facebook profiles.

[@craigaxle1096]

My heart goes out to the family. May God bless them all.

[@alaeddinsliti487]

Khouya, please give me his son's fb?

[@akinamegu9896]

allah yar7mou amin

[@mohamedhannachi8585]

Allah yarahmou w yna3mou

[@bopannananjappa2553]

Their house is actually nice.And a nice family.

[@Aslaan1]

This is how a muslim family is caring without leaving anyone behind despite they face financial issues. May Allah keep their father speedy recovery & make him healthy again. These powerthrist leaders have made lives of common people very harsh.

[@Rozboz7]

May Allah continue to protect this family and all others in Tunisia. I’m well aware of the situation over there and I pray the Government gets it together soon. What a rich, beautiful, and fruitful land that is..I love Tunisia 🇹🇳 ❤️🙏🏽

[@dominiquepayne-ohara9844]

My mother left Tunisia in the 1960s and I have been back and forth and seen the country go down hill. I think maybe if we don’t have the money to look after our family’s properly we should not have so many children.. this is so sad.

[@lordly1761]

This is heartbroken I left Tunisia in 2015 I think things are deteriorating seriously I never saw Tunisia like this before!

[@ghalib8901]

Beautiful documentary❤️❤️❤️

[@raya9283]

I feel sorry for the Mum and Dad that their younger sons complain about them not providing enough for them. Despite the poverty they endure, this is rude. The Dad is old and still hardworking, the older brother supports them financially. The two teenage boys should help to contribute financially with whatever in their hands. Why denying an construction aide job the father offers? They also have to do their best and help by being grateful to God and their parents by working and studying hard.

[@julien8097]

i dont think you realize what you're saying .., plus the translation isn't perfect, the job his father offered him was for 6.2 tunisian dinars, that's 1.9 USD for about 8 hours of construction work, even for a poor country like Tunisia that's nothing, the average day pay for a construction worker in tunisia is currently about 25 dinars that'll be 7.7 USD "They also have to do their best and help by being grateful to God and their parents by working and studying hard" - How funny.. so easy to say, you've never experienced true poverty and you'll never understand it ..

[@raya9283]

@@julien8097 My point is you have to do whatever is in your power at this moment. I certainly understand poverty, as I've lived in poor countries before and met many people who struggled in the past or still now. For sure just waiting and not doing anything to help yourself and your family get better won't improve anything.

[@mehrezayari3261]

@@raya9283 yes because that's what those children are definitely doing

[@jensenjunior7966]

So heartbreaking at the end

[@naeemtravelanalyst]

May Allah help those in need Ameen (وكان الله في عون المحتاجين، آمين)

[@HudaSE]

Bravo Yassine! You have a point at 10.36 - 11.20, but people are quick to criticize this wise young man. Allah didn't tell people to make a lot of children and then make them carry the burdens and hardships of their parents. Children are a gift and a test from from Allah and should be treated and educated in the best way that one is able to. What then comes out of them and who they turn out to be is up to Allah, but your responsibility as a parent is to be a care-giver, provider, protector, walid and walida! Some people tell their kids "to step up and step in" when it is in fact they who should step up and be the example for their kids.

[@bamdadkhan]

poor guy has to learn french because of the country's colonial past, even though it's next to useless nowadays..

[@telgou]

That's what France does, to keep even our doctors and engineers dependent on them. Even they, have no chance but to migrate to France if they want a better life suite to the hardship they encounter while sturdying.

[@jodifloria6647]

I been to Tunisia several times since 2014 .. last trip was 2017 . Very high unemployment rate. My Tunisian husband was very frustrated with his life . He was 35 still living at home bec no job . Sad that he only married me to come to Canada for work .. women in Tunisia marry a man that has a business or job .. which is hard . My ex husband family lived comfortable Bec of his father's retirement income ..

[@Schwarz916]

True well I been to Tunisia serveral times since 2011 and I knew in Tunisia has high unemployment also women are looking men who has a job or business as you said but unfortunately that not an easy

[@Younes07770]

Tunisian youth, good at complaining and not taking action.

[@LaJuera25]

I married into a Tunisian family. Everytime we go back to Hammamet- there are two worlds I live in; I get treated like French tourist and then I go to places like Bouficha and see a lot of young men and women frustrated. The corruption and poor infrastructure is failing them. They look stressed beyond their years!

[@ziaziz2961]

I’m tunisien from kram and this is a totally 5% of how we leave in tunisia and with all my respect those boys are not the greatest image of our leaving..

[@gennaro904]

Tektheb

[@anythingafrican8430]

An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.

[@ydmali864]

Fadwa Rouice... God bless you my friend. From your colleague at operation academy, guess who?! ^_*

[@thewhiterabbituk]

It’s a pity these kids don’t know how much they have, with full bellies and a good book . They are not poor like the english poor. I have been to stay with a Tunisian family twice before. I understand their complaint, but I say again, with full bellies and a good book, they are NOT poor like the british poor. Even in north africa any cafe will feed you for free if you ask them and are destitute. That is much rarer to find in the uk. Poor british children go hungry alot and do not read their countries holy book. So it is a whole different kind of situation that struggling north africans should be aware of.

[@felahmahmoud1125]

we all suffer in different ways, but m sorry i have to say this as a tunisian who left a year ago, even this family's situation is literally nothing compared to others and i have witnessed it first hand. i saw poor ppl in both my own country and europe, the difference is in europe the government can help their fellow citizens, but in tunisia, nobody but allah will help u. But again i dont want to compare.

[@thewhiterabbituk]

@@felahmahmoud1125 i am going to Enfidha/Hammamet/Sousse later this month.

[@thewhiterabbituk]

@@felahmahmoud1125 that is true for all the people of God though, that the Lord Allah is the Only Helper. I know it is actually frustrating the situation you are in as Tunisians but this affects many people all over the world. So who is to say if you should set your sights at home, or on a place far away? No one knows…

[@cawstongreenway]

Hope things work out for you guys :)

[@balibestadventures9469]

just curious, why so many people, (like on this documentary) have a dream to life in other countries??? I am not stay and living in rich country but in our society (in Indonesia) living and working in other countries is not common discussion.

[@mohamedhannachi8585]

We don't have the same cultural background, in general, beside the economic situation in tunisia, tunisians in general want at least to have an other life experience in other countries.. it ain't all about the money, its just we want see the other side of the world..

[@joanmuhoro5851]

Social media and the fear of missing out on better life that always seems to be "out there somewhere". When these countries had no technology everyone was content in their own countries. Now many people in developing countries think the best life (partying endlessly with countless 'free' women readily available and menial jobs paying thousands of dollars) is what the West is about.

[@user-cy8vt5ki8e]

hello i am looking for my child he is living in finland and long time i have not seen him i left him with his mother he was 7 year old and now he is 21 year his name is merenvuori suleiman bergen born in finland in 07.03.2002 his mothe r is aitalina kytchkina she is rusian citezen i am here in algeria i need help from you to see my child. thank you

[@georgeaineahkinywa404]

Very intersting but their level of challenges in some countries it will be ranked as middle class..poverty hasnt knocked on their door yet..wish their dad a quick reccovery

[@TH3USUALSUSPECT]

Poverty comes in different levels, the thing that has saved Tunisians is their relatively high level of education. But as you can see that doesn't guarantee you a job, my family in Tunisia lives in similar circumstances, slightly more poor than this and i would definitely call it poverty. I was raised in The Netherlands so its all relative but in general Tunisians do live in poverty right now.

[@georgeaineahkinywa404]

@@TH3USUALSUSPECT So the uprising dint do any good as is the case in Sudan now which is spiraling into more chaos,i think sanctions and interference from the from the West will drown more aspiring nations into an abyss of poverty

[@user-jy1xr1nh8s]

@@georgeaineahkinywa404 Its all arranged upraisings. All is done do destabilize countries and easy to collapse economy and everything for the NWO zionict plan.

[@zakariamattu8613]

Unfortunately ever since the revolution Tunisia has seen stagnation and decline

[@SandraStachowiczLtd]

Let's talk about greed and etitlement Yassin complains that other kids are getting spoiled and he's not He wants a phone (which given his age is perfectly normal) He's stil a teenager Yet, his older brother pays the rent, his older sister sacrificied her studies to provide for the family That kid still has some growing up to do It's not all about you, Yassin Europe is not all glitter and glam either I once send my old phone to my partner's nephew in Tunisia also named Yassin The other time a used laptop I took pity on them as their dad had just died (mine died when I was still a teenager) On both occassions all I got were complaints You bet that was the last time these kids ever got anything from me I later found out they expected an iPhone 8 that I wouldn't even get for myself lol And yep, I'm well travelled You do meet people who are generous You do meet people who are entitled It's not cultural, it's inividual Until North Africans stop seeing themselves as victims, nothing will change And yep, I come from nothing too, raised by a single mother of 5 daughters You can come from nothing and be generous OR... you can come from nothing and be entitled It's the mentality of something for nothing that needs to change...

[@alabidavid2895]

Such a thought life, I pity this family.

[@007gajubond3]

Grt

[@ramatgan1]

Here in Maldives the average wage is $17000 per year and we live very well and we're happy. They are poor because their governments are corrupt. Also they shouldn't study a dead language like french. It's better they study Chinese or English and their native Arabic.

[@MissJ000]

Wow that’s $1100 USD

[@ramatgan1]

@@MissJ000 But our cost of living is cheap and the government housing rent is subsidised. Maldives is paradise 😎

[@fourthright]

@@ramatgan1 u r right . Many african countries are wasting their life by learning french. English is the lang of global science tech and commerce

[@kamaujohn6303]

Hussein 1700 or 17000?

[@ramatgan1]

@@kamaujohn6303 average income in 🇲🇻 is 17000 usd per year

[@donnabeuth3193]

EU and UK can't keep letting anyone who is poor to come here, from countries all over the world. There's nowhere for people to live and there's a lot of poverty here too.

[@jessynixx]

You dont speak for the whole of Europe lol in Italy we NEED immigrants, and they are welcome here. And immigrants from North Africa integrate well here because our cultures are similar in some ways.

[@violetayaneva8328]

I'm European.I have my own house, own business.We work me and my husband and we have an income 3-3500 euro per month.And yet we brought only one child coz that's how much we can take care of. I'm sorry but to be uneducated, under rent, working for coins and to bring 4 children on top of this???????? This is insane... madness!! You bring them to suffer or what??

[@loumon777]

They suffer because of french continuing indirect occupation, theft and control over Tunisia along with other hundreds of millions of people in the African countries that were occupied and still are exploited by the fre*nch entitled, hypocrite and uncivilized thieves, which I believe you like to call a very distorted politically correct term: colonialism& and post-colonialism.. as per their children number, that’s something you can unfortunately not understand in your European individualistic self centred society and culture.

[@Time_to_Stop_Animal_Abuse]

Poor chickens.

[@homemr7506]

Who is Adnan Artal ?

[@fourthright]

In india u can earn money by attending political rallies. U get 1 day wage and u have to move around with the politician shout slogan protest then next day with another politician. But it happens only once or twice a month

[@FrankE.Fackler]

I’m so grateful and blessed cos all my bills had been cleared and I can live a happy now .. Thanks you 👆

[@tunisianhannibal9585]

yaatek 3asba yal jazeera ! kais said we are with youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[@mohamedrafrafi790]

Please can you translate what u just wrote,because Google translator didn't get it

[@cosmincoco3679]

so they win like 70$ a month !? can´t be! but they smaller than italy! and in usa they say they win over 100$ a day , better that eu cut ties with uk and they should also with usa , and i wonder why anyone actually doeen´t do anything about usa? in romania u can win like 700$ and free acommodation and food a month for foreigners is just that are few places to work.

[@TH3USUALSUSPECT]

200tdn approximately, maybe more up north, thats what my uncles earn in the phosphate mines. They save up, build a house from it and live a reasonably content and peaceful live with it, its hard though, a struggle every day. All of them graduated and even majored but can't find jobs.

[@Inmortlish]

Most people just live on debt

[@amuktadir1991]

ASCHEN,hazar bosor por shutrudar organ defeated kore.Around.emparor valor.

[@bjornhelgason1879]

keep making babies

[@zhandosmukhambetali834]

Belgium vallon shaitan

[@henrytan5588]

Yes they are not fleeing war or torture. So is it fair and moral to accept them into France? Of course they have human rights to get housing and food. They have same desire for the good life in the EU.

[@claudiaalexander9165]

They need to stay and fix their countries and the women need to stop having kids they clearly can't afford.

[@yankeepirate8927]

Kids in Tunisia could easily earn $40-$100-$200 per hour but they don't watch videos like this and reply. Sad.

[@yankeepirate8927]

I apologize. I know a Tunisian/neighbor who studied for several years and he earns close to $100/hr. If a group of Tunisian students took the right document to the right person and through that contact networked to the Secretary of the Prime Minister within 90 days they could easily earn $50-$100/hr and in under a year twice that amount. So, it's not impossible; it's just a new technique for you, but one that is easy to master, enjoyable and profitable.

[@jibrilrahim1930]

The other boy is an atheist in the making

[@TH3USUALSUSPECT]

Many Tunisians already are, i am too.

[@jibrilrahim1930]

@@TH3USUALSUSPECT bro welcome. Since when did you become one? I became an atheist last two years

[@SoAExile]

Then you expect your countries to be in enriched. I was born and bred in the west, the U.K and alhamdulillah for Islam and that I found it. Your reliance on western society and the rubbish they have spewed to you has made you loose your deen!!! La Ilaha ill Allah. May you be guided to the truth

[@jibrilrahim1930]

@@SoAExile La ilah

[@SoAExile]

@@jibrilrahim1930 Do you disbelieve in the one who created you from a drop of sperm!! Then fashioned you and gave you eyes, mouth, ears and lungs perfectly placed. And you become haughty and arrogant for this life. You maybe dont even live in the west and i can tell you the life that these people live is an embodiment of deception and fear of leaving this world. Alhamdulillah for everything Allah has allowed me to see and breath. You want to sell your self for a couple pounds that will never bring you true hapiness and the worst thing is you'll probably never even get it as they will treat like dirt for not beimg remotley like them. My friend i am a white European muslim im telling you for your happiness in this world and the next dont sell your soul for this life, i have lived it and its a deception. And one point for you to take heed on, if you were given a mobile phone and i told you this phone seemingly came out of nowhere with no purpose and no inventor, you would call that person crazy why? Because it takes hundreds of engineers and design to to creat that phone, to appropriately place things in a place that is ergonomically and esthetically pleasing. I.e the camera is at the back of the phone to take pictures, and sofrware that is intuitive to make it easy for the user. So how is it when we look at our bodies that been created to perfection, out hearts that beat without us telling it to do so or how are lungs keep us alive by transferring the oxygen we breath to energy for our bodies to thrive we say we came from nowhere with no purpose and we will end up no where, what MADNESS IS THIS. Im telling you for your sake dont let this be your goal and fear Allah before you return. Dont be fooled!!!!