Tunisia's present ambassador to Malta, Mrs Zohra Ladgham, presented her credentials to the President of Malta, last December.  I was unable to attend the reception of Tunisia's national day in March, but had finally an occasion to meet Her Excellency when I was recently invited to her residence, Dar Karthag, in Attard to a reception and dinner for a group of Tunisian women entrepreneurs and an exhibition of Tunisian handicrafts, culinary products and traditional Tunisian clothes.

 It was a mild May evening and the courtyard of Dar Karthag which reminds me of homes I had seen in exquisite Sidi Bou Saїd, was in full bloom. Such a great pity that ours is only a short spring. There were also members of the Chamber of Commerce and the National Council of Women at this get together.

Mrs Rim Zea Prosdocimi, one of the entrepreneurs, has an Italian husband and they have a factory of furniture which also takes orders for custom-made furniture. They came to seek potential partners and make contact with architects and interior decorators.

Another, entrepreneur, Mrs Youssfi  Saoud Raoudha,  is interested in making contact with people in the tourism industry. In Tunisia she runs a consultancy which also focuses on management, marketing and hygiene. 

Mrs Houria Mouj whom I spoke to at length, has four children and together with her husband runs a clothing factory. She told me that no, their business is not disrupted in any way by the political situation. They simply get on with their business, in which she is an active director, and they continue to export. She came in search of customers and to make contact with professionals in the textile industry.

Mrs Souad Mlawah had an excellent display of the finest and most delicate embroidery, all done by hand. Such a luxury these days as everything is machine made in their thousands. I was truly impressed with the work and wished I had managed to go back to size 16, then I would have fitted into one of the refined linen nightdresses, with embroidery which seemed to have been created by angels. I was told that at one time it was compulsory for Tunisian women to learn how to embroider, just as it is compulsory for children to go to school. This is the heritage that modern Tunisia has received from tradition. The skills and dexterity of Tunisian embroiderers is such that some of the leading names in the world of haute couture, be it in Paris, New York or London, often call these gifted Tunisian women to decorate their fabrics using their expertise. That being said, it is not only the women who create the rich ornamentation on clothes. The men also contribute, both in weaving as well as in embroidery. 

There were other women to whom I did not manage to speak. I have been to Tunisia at least three times and each time I was impressed with how enterprising Tunisian women are. This evening at the embassy continued to reinforce this.

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The ambassador of Tunisia told me that this short business visit specialized mainly in handicrafts, trade, services and Tunisian pastry and was an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce of Monastir, represented by Mrs Souad Haouala, who had approached the Embassy in order to organize this visit. Ambassador Ladgham, whose father I happened to find out, was Tunisia's first prime minister after the country achieved independence, had contacted the Maltese Chamber of Commerce and the Tunisian Business Council which is now integrated within the North African Business Council. The visit was officially launched at the Maltese Chamber of Commerce by the ambassador, Tonio Casapinta, Vice President of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Mrs Mary Gaerty, who is not only President of the National Council of Women but also a founder member of the North African Business Council.  It is at the Chamber that the Tunisian women entrepreneurs presented their activities and their lines of products. The launch was followed by successful bilateral meetings between the Tunisian women and their Maltese counterparts.

A most pleasant evening where Tunisian food was served, not forgetting the delicious pastries dripping in honey with a dash of flower water, made with almonds. Now that we are inundated with Sicilian and Italian restaurants and cafes, isn't it about time that someone opened a shop which concentrates on things Tunisian. There is much to be said for them.

In a box please

Corrigendum

Following my diary of 10th May in which            I wrote about the splendid concert organized by HE The Australian High Commissioner, Ms Jane Lambert when pianist Stefan Cassomenos played at her residence, I received an e-mail from Director (Culture), Catherine Tabone, who pointed out to me that Jesmond Grixti is a Maltese composer living in Australia and not, as I wrote, an Australian of Maltese descent. He is, Ms Tabone told me, the only Maltese living composer to appear in the book The World and Its People. She also pointed out that she was not Jesmond Grixti's teacher in Malta but he was her teacher when he still lived in Malta. My apologies. That's what happens when one relies entirely on memory rather than go armed with my little black book (in which I only write about people I like), and take notes. Thank you Catherine.