Tunis: Minister of the Family, Women, Children and the Elderly, Amel Belhaj Moussa, underlined her ministry's interest in implementing mechanisms to protect vulnerable children without family support through the Tunisian Association of SOS Villages. She noted that the budget allocated to SOS Villages has been increased to TND 7.5 million for the next three years (2023-2025). During her visit on Monday to the SOS village in Akouda, Sousse governorate, the minister said the state plays an important role in supporting the efforts of the SOS village association and helping it to overcome the difficulties of caring for children without family support. She took note of the conditions of accommodation, food, social and health care provided for the children of the SOS village in Akouda (56 children) and visited the different areas of the village, which consists of 9 family houses, an administrative office, offices for the teachers and a girls' dormitory. She also visited a family home where the children being car ed for at the SOS Village live, and inquired about the conditions under which they receive health, psychological and educational care, as well as extracurricular activities. Moussa said the Tunisian state is committed to ensuring that children's best interests prevail and to guaranteeing their right to a healthy and balanced education. At the end of her visit, the Minister went to the Centre for the Protection of the Elderly in Sousse to see the quality of the services provided by this institution, which has 41 residents (29 men and 12 women). She asked for all the necessary conditions to be put in place to ensure that the residents are cared for in accordance with quality and safety standards. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse