In 1990, Essma Ben Hamida co-founded Enda inter-arabe, a microfinance institution designed to catalyze economic activity among disadvantaged populations. Operating primarily within Tunisia, the organization emerged from her extensive background in journalism and international development. Her strategy focused on providing capital to individuals who previously lacked formal access to traditional banking systems, specifically targeting women to foster local development.
Education and Early Career
Born in 1951 in Kairouan, Ben Hamida completed studies in history and geography at the University of Tunis. She later pursued post-graduate coursework in urbanism at Paris-Est Créteil University. Her professional trajectory began in secondary education as a high school teacher before she transitioned into journalism. By 1970, she relocated to New York to establish the inaugural branch of the Tunisian news agency TAP at the United Nations headquarters.
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Throughout the 1980s, Ben Hamida spent nine years based in Rome and Geneva. Her work involved collaboration with the International Foundation for Development Alternatives and the Inter-Press Service. She provided reporting on institutional activities for the FAO, IFAD, World Food Programme, and World Food Council. These roles necessitated travel across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, where she conducted research within deprived communities to inform international agency reports.
Founding Enda inter-arabe
Upon returning to Tunisia after 12 years abroad, Ben Hamida and her husband, Michael Cracknell, established Enda inter-arabe in 1994, building on the framework of Enda Third World. The institution provided microfinance loans to women, though men were eligible to participate if their wives served as guarantors. This structure promoted business cooperation between genders. Beyond capital, the organization provided literacy courses, financial management, and marketing training. By 2019, Enda’s services had reached approximately 800,000 micro-entrepreneurs.
Recognition and Awards
Ben Hamida’s work in social entrepreneurship earned her the title of Outstanding Social Entrepreneur in the Middle East and North Africa in 2010 from the Schwab Foundation and the World Economic Forum. Further recognition followed in 2019 when she was named an Outstanding Arab Woman by Takreem. In 2020, she received the Arab Woman's Award for Excellence from the same foundation.
Fast facts
- Born: 1951, Kairouan, French protectorate of Tunisia
- Education: University of Tunis; Paris-Est Créteil University
- Organization founded: Enda inter-arabe
- Year of foundation: 1994
- 2010 award: Outstanding Social Entrepreneur in the Middle East and North Africa
- 2019 award: Outstanding Arab Woman (Takreem)
- 2020 award: Arab Woman's Award for Excellence (Takreem)
- Clients served by 2019: 800,000
Questions readers ask
What was the core mission of Enda inter-arabe?
It was created to provide easier access to capital through microfinance for disadvantaged women wishing to pursue business ventures.
Could men access the services provided by Enda?
Yes, provided their wives acted as guarantors for the loans.
