This December, I returned to El chbabya الشبابية, the village where my family’s roots run deep. For generations, this quiet corner of Djerba represented balance and harmony, a place where nature, culture, and community coexisted seamlessly. I had always imagined it as a sanctuary of timeless beauty, where the white domes of traditional menzels blended with the soft greens of olive and palm trees. These menzels, more than just homes, were ecosystems that sustained their inhabitants while respecting the fragile land they were built upon. But the Djerba I encountered this time felt different, as if it was bracing itself against an onslaught. December, which once brought a sense of quiet, was unusually busy. Roads were bustling, and the landscape seemed scarred by unchecked construction. The menzels I had grown up hearing about, with their self-sufficient design and harmonious relationship with nature, were disappearing. Their land had been parceled into smaller plots, hosting o...
« J’ai quitté là-bas, mais je ne suis pas encore d’ici » — Dany Laferrière