https://www.khaama.com/mou-signed-for-b ... ion-03523/
MoU signed for Badakhshan power transmission, Sheewa Dam construction worth $631 million
By Khaama Press / in Afghanistan / on Tuesday, 19 Mar 2019
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the implementation of power transmission project to Badakhshan province and construction of Sheewa Dam, the Office of the President said Tuesday.
According to a statement released by ARG Palace, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed during a ceremony which was organized in Char Chinar Palace today.
The statement further added that the Acting Minister of Energy and Water Mohamamd Gul Khulmi, Director of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat Eng. Amanullah Ghalib and Representative of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
The Office of the President also added that the main purpose of the signing of Memorandum of Understanding is to pave the way the investment of 631 million US Dollars by Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development on two projects.
The statement also added that the contract duration has been considered for 30 years to resolve the issues of electricity demand and the project would be implemented in several phases with each phase to be completed over a period of 7 years.
AKDN / AKF INITIATIVES WORLDWIDE
AKDN and EU sign new €9m partnership to combat COVID-19 in East Africa, reaching 140,000 vulnerable people
The agencies involved will tackle the pandemic’s health challenges, as well as increase support for the wellbeing of communities and young people
In line with its global strategy for tackling the pandemic, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has launched a new €9 million programme in East Africa with funding from the European Union. The programme will focus on strengthening responses to the health, social and economic challenges COVID-19 continues to raise in four countries – Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.
With the spread of the pandemic accelerating in recent months across Africa, many countries’ existing health systems have struggled to keep up, particularly as the virus travels into more rural areas where access to healthcare and up-to-date information on prevention is more limited. If COVID-19 is not checked, the long-term social and economic effects on the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in East Africa could be devastating.
The 30-month, multi-sector programme will help strengthen existing health responses and increase awareness of prevention strategies and support mechanisms, while also minimising the socio-economic impact of the crisis among the young and vulnerable. Funded by the European Union, it will be implemented by three AKDN agencies – the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and the Aga Khan University (AKU) – alongside partner organisation, In Their Hands (ITH).
In partnership with East African governments, AKDN’s networks of clinicians and facilities will support health systems to respond effectively, including through the provision of PPE, testing kits and other medical equipment, and training health workers on COVID-19 response and management. Given the significant psychosocial impact of the pandemic, AKU will also address emerging mental health needs among health workers and young people.
At a grassroots level, AKF will work with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to strengthen communities’ ability to prevent and respond to COVID-19. This includes identifying and prioritising community needs, providing rapid response funds to CSOs to meet emerging needs, and disseminating messaging on prevention and protection to vulnerable groups. The CSOs are also encouraged to share stories of hope that promote solidarity during these difficult times within their communities.
Young people have been disproportionately affected by the socio-economic shocks brought about by pandemic. Gender-based violence and levels of psychosocial distress have risen across the globe, in many cases as a direct result of COVID-19. AKDN will work with partner organisation In Their Hands to address these challenges. ITH’s digital platform will help adolescents and young people – in particular, young women and girls – to access sexual and reproductive health services and livelihoods skills training. AKF will also engage with young people through remote design sessions to develop innovative business solutions that meet immediate, medium, and long-term community needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is anticipated that 140,000 individuals or 30,000 households will be supported with a variety of coping strategies to help them weather the pandemic.
Central to the way AKDN works is to ensure that the work is context-specific and has community buy-in and active participation. Engaging with CSOs (who are at the centre of community interventions), government departments and existing health systems is critical to success. By nurturing ownership, there is far greater chance that the work carried out in response to these difficult circumstances will be sustainable in the long run and benefit communities now and into the future.
https://www.akf.org.uk/akdn-and-eu-sign ... 25c8c5fc8d
******
First national investment platform launched
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) and its tech innovation arm Ignite (National Technology Fund) on Tuesday launched Pakistan’s first national investment platform called PakImpactInvest, opening up new investment avenues.
The platform was launched at a ceremony attended among others by Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Syed Amin Ul Haque, IT Secretary Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Ignite CEO Asim Shahryar Husain and senior officials of the ministry, Ignite and Accelerate Prosperity (AP), a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS).
As part of the MoU signed between AP and Ignite, the former would assist the MoITT and Ignite as the technical advisory partner for co-designing and launching PakImpactInvest, said a press release.
It would open up new avenues for investment in startups graduating from Ignite Funded National Incubation Centres as well as other startups of Pakistan in future, the statement said.
The AP raises investments from public sector programmes, private sector groups, investment houses, venture funds and philanthropists.
Mr Haque said one of the key challenges of new technology-based startups was access to early stage and growth stage capital. “I’m sure that this initiative will bridge the gap in an efficient manner. This Ignite AP partnership looks promising to solve the financing challenge faced by our startups,” he said.
He noted that the overall environment in the country was improving and added that Bykea, one of the startups accelerated at NIC Karachi, had raised $21 million of Series B Funding.
Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2021
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606536/first ... 25c8c5fc8d
The agencies involved will tackle the pandemic’s health challenges, as well as increase support for the wellbeing of communities and young people
In line with its global strategy for tackling the pandemic, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has launched a new €9 million programme in East Africa with funding from the European Union. The programme will focus on strengthening responses to the health, social and economic challenges COVID-19 continues to raise in four countries – Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.
With the spread of the pandemic accelerating in recent months across Africa, many countries’ existing health systems have struggled to keep up, particularly as the virus travels into more rural areas where access to healthcare and up-to-date information on prevention is more limited. If COVID-19 is not checked, the long-term social and economic effects on the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in East Africa could be devastating.
The 30-month, multi-sector programme will help strengthen existing health responses and increase awareness of prevention strategies and support mechanisms, while also minimising the socio-economic impact of the crisis among the young and vulnerable. Funded by the European Union, it will be implemented by three AKDN agencies – the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and the Aga Khan University (AKU) – alongside partner organisation, In Their Hands (ITH).
In partnership with East African governments, AKDN’s networks of clinicians and facilities will support health systems to respond effectively, including through the provision of PPE, testing kits and other medical equipment, and training health workers on COVID-19 response and management. Given the significant psychosocial impact of the pandemic, AKU will also address emerging mental health needs among health workers and young people.
At a grassroots level, AKF will work with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to strengthen communities’ ability to prevent and respond to COVID-19. This includes identifying and prioritising community needs, providing rapid response funds to CSOs to meet emerging needs, and disseminating messaging on prevention and protection to vulnerable groups. The CSOs are also encouraged to share stories of hope that promote solidarity during these difficult times within their communities.
Young people have been disproportionately affected by the socio-economic shocks brought about by pandemic. Gender-based violence and levels of psychosocial distress have risen across the globe, in many cases as a direct result of COVID-19. AKDN will work with partner organisation In Their Hands to address these challenges. ITH’s digital platform will help adolescents and young people – in particular, young women and girls – to access sexual and reproductive health services and livelihoods skills training. AKF will also engage with young people through remote design sessions to develop innovative business solutions that meet immediate, medium, and long-term community needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is anticipated that 140,000 individuals or 30,000 households will be supported with a variety of coping strategies to help them weather the pandemic.
Central to the way AKDN works is to ensure that the work is context-specific and has community buy-in and active participation. Engaging with CSOs (who are at the centre of community interventions), government departments and existing health systems is critical to success. By nurturing ownership, there is far greater chance that the work carried out in response to these difficult circumstances will be sustainable in the long run and benefit communities now and into the future.
https://www.akf.org.uk/akdn-and-eu-sign ... 25c8c5fc8d
******
First national investment platform launched
ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT) and its tech innovation arm Ignite (National Technology Fund) on Tuesday launched Pakistan’s first national investment platform called PakImpactInvest, opening up new investment avenues.
The platform was launched at a ceremony attended among others by Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Syed Amin Ul Haque, IT Secretary Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui, Ignite CEO Asim Shahryar Husain and senior officials of the ministry, Ignite and Accelerate Prosperity (AP), a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS).
As part of the MoU signed between AP and Ignite, the former would assist the MoITT and Ignite as the technical advisory partner for co-designing and launching PakImpactInvest, said a press release.
It would open up new avenues for investment in startups graduating from Ignite Funded National Incubation Centres as well as other startups of Pakistan in future, the statement said.
The AP raises investments from public sector programmes, private sector groups, investment houses, venture funds and philanthropists.
Mr Haque said one of the key challenges of new technology-based startups was access to early stage and growth stage capital. “I’m sure that this initiative will bridge the gap in an efficient manner. This Ignite AP partnership looks promising to solve the financing challenge faced by our startups,” he said.
He noted that the overall environment in the country was improving and added that Bykea, one of the startups accelerated at NIC Karachi, had raised $21 million of Series B Funding.
Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2021
https://www.dawn.com/news/1606536/first ... 25c8c5fc8d
Lessons from the lockdown: Equality, equity in education
It is now almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic forced a lock-down upon us all, disrupting lives and livelihoods.
Amid all the other hardships, more than 15 million children in Uganda have had to face an unsettled learning and development environment. And with schools only expected to open gradually, many children still face months of home learning.
As we reflect on the past year, what have we learnt? The opportunity to promote equality in education and learning must be realised.
Questions about how to support home learning and deal with the inequality of the ‘digital divide’ have become daily conversations. Government and non-government actors have had to collaborate to develop teaching materials, radio lessons and other ICT enabled solutions.
Early indications suggest that the responses by government and civil society organisations have been laudable.
A study in progress by the Norwegian Refugee Council in refugee settlements indicates that home learning packs developed by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) reached 96 per cent of homes, and 84 per cent of children were engaging with these materials.
Radio was the second most used method with examples where organisations like the Aga Khan Development Network’s Madrasa Early Childhood Programme partnered with NCDC to create content.
Other institutions, like Save the Children, supported the set-up of community radio broadcasts. Equally impressive was seeing how children and families within our communities established small learning groups while our teachers strived to provide support where they could. This feat of bringing learning support to so many in such a short time must be celebrated.
However, the experience of the past year reminds us that securing equity in learning remains a challenge.
A recent study indicates that while learning levels remained stable for higher classes and higher-level learners, there were learning relapses in lower classes and lower-level learners.
There was also evidence that girls were disadvantaged due to time being consumed by familial chores and responsibilities. This exposes how the inequity of learning persisted, even exacerbated, during school closures.
That said, nearly 70 per cent of children appear to want some form of home learning to continue even after schools open. This goes beyond the notion of homework toward a concept of learning between home and school.
This creates space for thinking about a more ‘hybrid’ approach which might be an option our children prefer.
It offers the possibility of reducing pressure on our school infrastructure and providing children with quality teacher time when in class, not merely access to overcrowded classrooms.
The Ministry of Education and Sports is committed to a back-to-school campaign to elevate the importance of every boy and girl returning to school.
The NCDC, with support of the Aga Khan Foundation, have also developed back-to-school support materials to provide concrete ways to make this happen.
The past year has demonstrated the huge capacity of Ugandans to respond to crisis. Government, civil society, communities, parents and children have worked together to achieve a common goal. Our challenge now is to draw the lessons from this effort and think about new ways of providing education beyond the school compound.
Our ambition must be to look beyond equal access if we are to achieve equitable learning for all Ugandan children.
Mr Amin Mawji OBE, Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network in Kampala.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/c ... 25c8c5fc8d
It is now almost a year since the coronavirus pandemic forced a lock-down upon us all, disrupting lives and livelihoods.
Amid all the other hardships, more than 15 million children in Uganda have had to face an unsettled learning and development environment. And with schools only expected to open gradually, many children still face months of home learning.
As we reflect on the past year, what have we learnt? The opportunity to promote equality in education and learning must be realised.
Questions about how to support home learning and deal with the inequality of the ‘digital divide’ have become daily conversations. Government and non-government actors have had to collaborate to develop teaching materials, radio lessons and other ICT enabled solutions.
Early indications suggest that the responses by government and civil society organisations have been laudable.
A study in progress by the Norwegian Refugee Council in refugee settlements indicates that home learning packs developed by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) reached 96 per cent of homes, and 84 per cent of children were engaging with these materials.
Radio was the second most used method with examples where organisations like the Aga Khan Development Network’s Madrasa Early Childhood Programme partnered with NCDC to create content.
Other institutions, like Save the Children, supported the set-up of community radio broadcasts. Equally impressive was seeing how children and families within our communities established small learning groups while our teachers strived to provide support where they could. This feat of bringing learning support to so many in such a short time must be celebrated.
However, the experience of the past year reminds us that securing equity in learning remains a challenge.
A recent study indicates that while learning levels remained stable for higher classes and higher-level learners, there were learning relapses in lower classes and lower-level learners.
There was also evidence that girls were disadvantaged due to time being consumed by familial chores and responsibilities. This exposes how the inequity of learning persisted, even exacerbated, during school closures.
That said, nearly 70 per cent of children appear to want some form of home learning to continue even after schools open. This goes beyond the notion of homework toward a concept of learning between home and school.
This creates space for thinking about a more ‘hybrid’ approach which might be an option our children prefer.
It offers the possibility of reducing pressure on our school infrastructure and providing children with quality teacher time when in class, not merely access to overcrowded classrooms.
The Ministry of Education and Sports is committed to a back-to-school campaign to elevate the importance of every boy and girl returning to school.
The NCDC, with support of the Aga Khan Foundation, have also developed back-to-school support materials to provide concrete ways to make this happen.
The past year has demonstrated the huge capacity of Ugandans to respond to crisis. Government, civil society, communities, parents and children have worked together to achieve a common goal. Our challenge now is to draw the lessons from this effort and think about new ways of providing education beyond the school compound.
Our ambition must be to look beyond equal access if we are to achieve equitable learning for all Ugandan children.
Mr Amin Mawji OBE, Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network in Kampala.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/c ... 25c8c5fc8d
Girls’ Education in Fragile Contexts
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAAHO3sdJNI
Girls’ Education in Fragile Contexts
How to deliver a programme where the risks are high
31 March 2021 | Online Conference
9.30 am – 12.15 pm BST | 13.00 pm – 15.45 pm AFT
To mark eight years of the FCDO and USAID-funded Steps Toward Afghan Girls’ Education Success (STAGES) programme, Aga Khan Foundation UK hosted an online conference on 31 March 2021 on the topic of ‘Girls’ Education in Fragile Contexts’.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAAHO3sdJNI
Girls’ Education in Fragile Contexts
How to deliver a programme where the risks are high
31 March 2021 | Online Conference
9.30 am – 12.15 pm BST | 13.00 pm – 15.45 pm AFT
To mark eight years of the FCDO and USAID-funded Steps Toward Afghan Girls’ Education Success (STAGES) programme, Aga Khan Foundation UK hosted an online conference on 31 March 2021 on the topic of ‘Girls’ Education in Fragile Contexts’.
Accelerate Impact – AKF's new global initiative to design better programmes
By embedding the principles of Human-Centred Design into the its operations, AKF aims to make its programmes more impactful, sustainable and to nurture a culture of collaboration and innovation
Watch video at:
https://www.akf.org.uk/accelerate-impac ... 25c8c5fc8d
The context for a new design-driven innovation ecosystem
Today, the global development landscape is facing unprecedented change. Climate change, conflict, urbanisation, automation, artificial intelligence, and environmental degradation are all having a massive impact on the complexity of the challenges communities face.
This is the context in which AKF’s over 4,000 staff are currently working, and whilst inclusivity and co-creation of solutions has always been a central tenet of AKF’s approach, this raft of new challenges has highlighted the need for new and creative approaches that deliver greater value and impact – at scale.
This rationale has underpinned the development of Accelerate Impact. Through this new initiative, AKF not only formalises its inclusive approach, but also applies design-driven innovation to its programmes, ensuring creative collaboration across the organisation, the ability to scale local solutions where applicable, and deliver even greater impact to the communities it serves.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/accelerate-impac ... 25c8c5fc8d
By embedding the principles of Human-Centred Design into the its operations, AKF aims to make its programmes more impactful, sustainable and to nurture a culture of collaboration and innovation
Watch video at:
https://www.akf.org.uk/accelerate-impac ... 25c8c5fc8d
The context for a new design-driven innovation ecosystem
Today, the global development landscape is facing unprecedented change. Climate change, conflict, urbanisation, automation, artificial intelligence, and environmental degradation are all having a massive impact on the complexity of the challenges communities face.
This is the context in which AKF’s over 4,000 staff are currently working, and whilst inclusivity and co-creation of solutions has always been a central tenet of AKF’s approach, this raft of new challenges has highlighted the need for new and creative approaches that deliver greater value and impact – at scale.
This rationale has underpinned the development of Accelerate Impact. Through this new initiative, AKF not only formalises its inclusive approach, but also applies design-driven innovation to its programmes, ensuring creative collaboration across the organisation, the ability to scale local solutions where applicable, and deliver even greater impact to the communities it serves.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/accelerate-impac ... 25c8c5fc8d
Aga Khan Foundation | Reporting for Duty | Olga's Story
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtIIpMRK74
In Mozambique, 1 in 67 women die due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth; and 1 in 18 infants die before their first birthday. With the support of the Government of Canada, the #AgaKhan Foundation’s (@AKF_Global) investments in the Pemba Nursing School in Mozambique are helping to provide a better #education for young nurses like Olga Albino who are specialising in #maternal and #neonatalcare.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtIIpMRK74
In Mozambique, 1 in 67 women die due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth; and 1 in 18 infants die before their first birthday. With the support of the Government of Canada, the #AgaKhan Foundation’s (@AKF_Global) investments in the Pemba Nursing School in Mozambique are helping to provide a better #education for young nurses like Olga Albino who are specialising in #maternal and #neonatalcare.
Learning against the odds – Matt Reed on Girls' Education in Fragile Contexts
Last month, the Aga Khan Foundation (UK) hosted a group of over 200 people dedicated to advancing girls’ education. Brought together over two days, the global audience and participants featured government ministers, international institutions, foundations, academics, international NGOs, and local organisations to share insights, challenges and lessons learned implementing a large-scale education programme in a high-risk environment.
The event marked eight-years of implementation of Steps Toward Afghan Girls Education Success (STAGES), funded under the Girls Education Challenge by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and, more recently, by USAID. It featured keynote speeches from Alicia Herbert OBE, Director for Education, Gender and Equality at FCDO and UK Gender Envoy and from Her Excellency Rangina Hamidi, the Acting Afghan Minister of Education. The opening address was given by Dr Matt Reed, Global Director of Institutional Partnerships at AKF and CEO of AKF UK. This blog has been adapted from his remarks.
It is my distinct privilege to host this group today to discuss one of the issues our organisation feels most strongly about: how to help girls learn better, live better, and thrive – how to help them fulfil their potential and create (or seize) new opportunities. In short, how to help them have better futures.
This commitment has been fundamental to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for over a century. Among the very first institutions of what is now known as AKDN were schools in Gujarat and Tanzania, intended to help girls get an education, to improve their prospects and the prospects of their future families. In the last three decades alone, AKDN agencies have directly helped over 10 million girls get into school, stay in school, and learn in school.
Today, we continue to live this legacy through our work in 15 countries. Marginalised children and youth – especially girls – are at the centre of the Aga Khan Foundation’s education strategy.
To help them, we focus on a few broad areas:
First and foremost: improving access, but also critically, quality;
Secondly: making sure that their education is locally relevant and rooted – and that they are supported by their entire communities;
Thirdly: promoting pluralism by ensuring that classrooms are inclusive; and lastly
To achieve these things, we have to make sure that teachers are trained and supported, so we focus especially on their needs.
We are implementing this work in a variety of ways. One example draws on lessons we have learned from STAGES and seeks to apply them across multiple countries. It is called Schools2030.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/learning-against ... 25c8c5fc8d
Last month, the Aga Khan Foundation (UK) hosted a group of over 200 people dedicated to advancing girls’ education. Brought together over two days, the global audience and participants featured government ministers, international institutions, foundations, academics, international NGOs, and local organisations to share insights, challenges and lessons learned implementing a large-scale education programme in a high-risk environment.
The event marked eight-years of implementation of Steps Toward Afghan Girls Education Success (STAGES), funded under the Girls Education Challenge by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and, more recently, by USAID. It featured keynote speeches from Alicia Herbert OBE, Director for Education, Gender and Equality at FCDO and UK Gender Envoy and from Her Excellency Rangina Hamidi, the Acting Afghan Minister of Education. The opening address was given by Dr Matt Reed, Global Director of Institutional Partnerships at AKF and CEO of AKF UK. This blog has been adapted from his remarks.
It is my distinct privilege to host this group today to discuss one of the issues our organisation feels most strongly about: how to help girls learn better, live better, and thrive – how to help them fulfil their potential and create (or seize) new opportunities. In short, how to help them have better futures.
This commitment has been fundamental to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) for over a century. Among the very first institutions of what is now known as AKDN were schools in Gujarat and Tanzania, intended to help girls get an education, to improve their prospects and the prospects of their future families. In the last three decades alone, AKDN agencies have directly helped over 10 million girls get into school, stay in school, and learn in school.
Today, we continue to live this legacy through our work in 15 countries. Marginalised children and youth – especially girls – are at the centre of the Aga Khan Foundation’s education strategy.
To help them, we focus on a few broad areas:
First and foremost: improving access, but also critically, quality;
Secondly: making sure that their education is locally relevant and rooted – and that they are supported by their entire communities;
Thirdly: promoting pluralism by ensuring that classrooms are inclusive; and lastly
To achieve these things, we have to make sure that teachers are trained and supported, so we focus especially on their needs.
We are implementing this work in a variety of ways. One example draws on lessons we have learned from STAGES and seeks to apply them across multiple countries. It is called Schools2030.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/learning-against ... 25c8c5fc8d
Video Quote: On Commitment to Long Term Development Goals
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JA9oEsEQa8
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JA9oEsEQa8
Mountains matter: AKDN, Italy and the Mountain Partnership make a call to action at Expo 2020 Dubai
Dubai, UAE, 8 October 2021 – The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Government of Italy and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat co-organised a day-long event at Expo 2020 Dubai as an urgent call to action for sustainable and climate-resilient mountain development – highlighting best practices that include integrating disaster risk reduction measures into town planning and networking between and for mountain communities.
2021-10-uae-47f85.jpg
Expo 2020 Dubai: "Reaching for the Stars: Sustainable and Climate Resilient Mountain Development"
AKDN
Featuring Mariastella Gelmini, Minister of Regional Affairs and Autonomies, Italy; Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain; Yodgor Doyorovich Fayzov, Governor of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Tajikistan; Khalid Khurshid, Chief Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; and Dr. Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General, the one of its kind event brought together mountain practitioners, policymakers, scientists, the private sector, youth activists and grassroots actors to spotlight innovative work to tackle climate change across the Andes, Hindu Kush, Alps and Pamirs.
Home to over one billion people and rich in biodiversity and natural resources critical to all of humanity including water, renewable energy and timber, mountains matter. However, with their temperatures rising three times faster than global averages, climate change is threatening mountain ecosystems, livelihoods and cultures around the world. Speakers at the event shared ideas and experiences on how to empower mountain communities to meet these challenges, including solutions around sustainable agriculture, youth participation, private sector partnerships for livelihoods, resilient mountain planning and sustainable tourism. Cases studies from the Himalayas, Alps, Apennines, Andes and Pamirs showcased local initiatives driving positive change.
The Aga Khan Development Network has been working to scale sustainable mountain development across the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Karakoram and Pamir Mountain ranges in South and Central Asia for decades. Onno Ruhl, General Manager of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), said: “Mountain communities are already living a climate emergency, facing the threat of melting glaciers, extreme weather and increased disaster risk. Yet they are often left out of policymaking and planning. AKAH is working with more than 2,000 mountain communities empowering them with data, world-class planning and best practices in disaster risk reduction and safe, sustainable construction to build a better future.”
Yodgor Doyorovich Fayzov, Governor of GBAO, Tajikistan spoke of the importance of such collaboration in building the capacity of communities and local government to build resilience. The Governor emphasised the power of rural mountain planning as a driver for safe, sustainable development. “The Khorog Urban Resilience Programme integrates disaster risk reduction measures into town planning, engaging communities and government together in data-driven decision-making and spatial design to address climate change and hazard mitigation, advancing a long-term, common vision for the future of our city. Resources and technical collaboration with our international partners including the AKDN, UN-Habitat and the Government of Switzerland are critical to enable us to accelerate adaptation efforts at the scale the climate emergency demands.”
akah-tajikistan-dscf6159r.jpg
In Tajikistan, the Khorog Urban Resilience Programme trains community members in gabion weaving so that they can help construct disaster mitigation walls.
AKDN
Reflecting on the criticality of such long-term partnerships to foster and scale innovative solutions, Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain said: “The Swiss Government is very happy to have joined forces with the Aga Khan Development Network for a long-established cooperation dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living in mountain settlements in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.”
Khalid Khurshid, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, highlighted both the urgency for action and the opportunity presented by Expo 2020 Dubai and COP26. Noting that although mountain people such as the communities of Gilgit-Baltistan contribute faintly to climate change, they bear the brunt of its impact and are already engaged in ambitious efforts to combat it such as the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme. Minister Khurshid urged action and collaboration to amplify such efforts: “I hope that we will be able to form a platform for the mountain communities and addressing the needs especially for the mountain communities… We need to give access to the products of mountain communities in international markets where they can present their fruits, meat, or whatever they have, so that they can have a dependable revenue and won’t be using the resources, forests, or whatever the natural habitat we have. An interlinking platform where we can learn from each other’s experiences and share the local wisdom to get more adaptive methods and to combat new challenges.”
akah-pakistan-8-shepherd.jpg
A shepherd crosses a bridge in Gilgit, Pakistan. Although mountain people contribute faintly to climate change, they bear the brunt of its impact and are already engaged in ambitious efforts to combat it.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
For more details contact: Trushna Torche at [email protected]
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/moun ... 2020-dubai
Dubai, UAE, 8 October 2021 – The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the Government of Italy and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat co-organised a day-long event at Expo 2020 Dubai as an urgent call to action for sustainable and climate-resilient mountain development – highlighting best practices that include integrating disaster risk reduction measures into town planning and networking between and for mountain communities.
2021-10-uae-47f85.jpg
Expo 2020 Dubai: "Reaching for the Stars: Sustainable and Climate Resilient Mountain Development"
AKDN
Featuring Mariastella Gelmini, Minister of Regional Affairs and Autonomies, Italy; Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain; Yodgor Doyorovich Fayzov, Governor of Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Tajikistan; Khalid Khurshid, Chief Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; and Dr. Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General, the one of its kind event brought together mountain practitioners, policymakers, scientists, the private sector, youth activists and grassroots actors to spotlight innovative work to tackle climate change across the Andes, Hindu Kush, Alps and Pamirs.
Home to over one billion people and rich in biodiversity and natural resources critical to all of humanity including water, renewable energy and timber, mountains matter. However, with their temperatures rising three times faster than global averages, climate change is threatening mountain ecosystems, livelihoods and cultures around the world. Speakers at the event shared ideas and experiences on how to empower mountain communities to meet these challenges, including solutions around sustainable agriculture, youth participation, private sector partnerships for livelihoods, resilient mountain planning and sustainable tourism. Cases studies from the Himalayas, Alps, Apennines, Andes and Pamirs showcased local initiatives driving positive change.
The Aga Khan Development Network has been working to scale sustainable mountain development across the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Karakoram and Pamir Mountain ranges in South and Central Asia for decades. Onno Ruhl, General Manager of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), said: “Mountain communities are already living a climate emergency, facing the threat of melting glaciers, extreme weather and increased disaster risk. Yet they are often left out of policymaking and planning. AKAH is working with more than 2,000 mountain communities empowering them with data, world-class planning and best practices in disaster risk reduction and safe, sustainable construction to build a better future.”
Yodgor Doyorovich Fayzov, Governor of GBAO, Tajikistan spoke of the importance of such collaboration in building the capacity of communities and local government to build resilience. The Governor emphasised the power of rural mountain planning as a driver for safe, sustainable development. “The Khorog Urban Resilience Programme integrates disaster risk reduction measures into town planning, engaging communities and government together in data-driven decision-making and spatial design to address climate change and hazard mitigation, advancing a long-term, common vision for the future of our city. Resources and technical collaboration with our international partners including the AKDN, UN-Habitat and the Government of Switzerland are critical to enable us to accelerate adaptation efforts at the scale the climate emergency demands.”
akah-tajikistan-dscf6159r.jpg
In Tajikistan, the Khorog Urban Resilience Programme trains community members in gabion weaving so that they can help construct disaster mitigation walls.
AKDN
Reflecting on the criticality of such long-term partnerships to foster and scale innovative solutions, Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain said: “The Swiss Government is very happy to have joined forces with the Aga Khan Development Network for a long-established cooperation dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living in mountain settlements in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.”
Khalid Khurshid, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, highlighted both the urgency for action and the opportunity presented by Expo 2020 Dubai and COP26. Noting that although mountain people such as the communities of Gilgit-Baltistan contribute faintly to climate change, they bear the brunt of its impact and are already engaged in ambitious efforts to combat it such as the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami Programme. Minister Khurshid urged action and collaboration to amplify such efforts: “I hope that we will be able to form a platform for the mountain communities and addressing the needs especially for the mountain communities… We need to give access to the products of mountain communities in international markets where they can present their fruits, meat, or whatever they have, so that they can have a dependable revenue and won’t be using the resources, forests, or whatever the natural habitat we have. An interlinking platform where we can learn from each other’s experiences and share the local wisdom to get more adaptive methods and to combat new challenges.”
akah-pakistan-8-shepherd.jpg
A shepherd crosses a bridge in Gilgit, Pakistan. Although mountain people contribute faintly to climate change, they bear the brunt of its impact and are already engaged in ambitious efforts to combat it.
AKDN / Christopher Wilton-Steer
For more details contact: Trushna Torche at [email protected]
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/moun ... 2020-dubai
Schools2030: Learning through Play in East Africa
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhotttawNqc
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Aga Khan Foundation | The Right Recipe for Good Health
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwCdaUjxmPw
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Aga Khan Foundation | The Right Recipe for Good Health [FRENCH]
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYHutuWtmKY
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Aga Khan Foundation | Improving the Health of Women and Girls in Rural Tanzania
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOd68heo2XY
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhotttawNqc
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Aga Khan Foundation | The Right Recipe for Good Health
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwCdaUjxmPw
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Aga Khan Foundation | The Right Recipe for Good Health [FRENCH]
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYHutuWtmKY
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Aga Khan Foundation | Improving the Health of Women and Girls in Rural Tanzania
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOd68heo2XY
Aga Khan Foundation | Schools 2030 Trailer
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QuT9YgKtVI
#Most large-scale international #education reform initiatives start with a globally designed intervention to improve learning outcomes. At Schools2030 we flip this mindset and start from the classroom level – we believe educational change can only happen when it is initiated and owned by teachers, learners and school communities,” says Dr. Bronwen Magrath, Global Programme Manager at the #AgaKhanFoundation and lead of the Schools2030 initiative.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QuT9YgKtVI
#Most large-scale international #education reform initiatives start with a globally designed intervention to improve learning outcomes. At Schools2030 we flip this mindset and start from the classroom level – we believe educational change can only happen when it is initiated and owned by teachers, learners and school communities,” says Dr. Bronwen Magrath, Global Programme Manager at the #AgaKhanFoundation and lead of the Schools2030 initiative.
AKDN and Expo 2020 Dubai partner to highlight critical challenges and opportunities facing humanity
Dubai, UAE, 29 October 2021 – Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) staff from countries around the world are collaborating in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Programme for People and Planet. This partnership is founded on a shared commitment and recognition that the most pressing challenges facing humanity can best be addressed through social, economic, cultural and environmental initiatives.
The Network’s contributions to the Expo draw upon its experience in establishing best practices from integrated, comprehensive projects and interventions in over 35 countries. As a partner in association with Expo 2020’s Urban and Rural Development week, the AKDN has worked together with UAE government ministries as well as with Siemens and UN Habitat to inform the week’s vision, direction and content. It has also contributed to the Expo’s initiatives on Climate and Biodiversity, Tolerance and Inclusivity, and Knowledge and Learning.
akf-tajikistan-3.jpg
In the mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat works with communities to map natural disaster hazards and risks as an important step to building them safer habitats.
AKDN
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai said: “Sharing ideas and knowledge is crucial and nations and organisations must work together on collaborative solutions to global challenges that affect us all. The UAE welcomes the active participation of organisations such as the Aga Khan Development Network as we seek to build a cleaner, safer, healthier world for everyone.”
Working with UAE government ministries and local and international civil society organisations, the Network is coordinating numerous presentations at Expo 2020 Dubai, including on sustainable and climate-resilient mountain development, promoting livelihoods and economies in the face of climate change, a World Majlis on engineering a balanced city, best practices in urban and rural development, music for peace and development, catalysing teacher-led innovations in education at scale, and innovating philanthropic financing – how to invest in education during times of uncertainty.
Michael Kocher, General Manager of the Aga Khan Foundation said: “The United Arab Emirates and the Aga Khan Development Network have worked closely together for many years in areas of common interest, including architecture, culture, education and health care. The AKDN’s collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai is a reflection of this abiding partnership, which is founded upon a shared commitment to addressing key concerns relating to human development, to improve the quality of life of the world’s most vulnerable populations.”
aktc-pakistan-lahore-restoration-sobia_salman_26_1.jpg
Historic restoration in Lahore, Pakistan. The AKDN operates with the belief that cultural heritage can catalyse a community, helping to raise incomes, enhancing urban spaces, and restoring pride and hope.
AKDN
In describing the partnership, Nadia Verjee, Chief of Staff for Expo 2020 Dubai Programme for People and Planet explained: “Expo 2020 Dubai is bringing together a variety of voices from around the globe to help spur collaborative action towards solving some of the world’s most pressing issues. Ideas and solutions can come from everywhere, and the Aga Khan Development Network’s expertise across topics from urban and rural development to knowledge and learning as well as climate and biodiversity issues, will enhance and strengthen our extensive programme of events and drive towards stronger and more meaningful outcomes.”
Photos at:
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/akdn ... ortunities
Dubai, UAE, 29 October 2021 – Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) staff from countries around the world are collaborating in Expo 2020 Dubai’s Programme for People and Planet. This partnership is founded on a shared commitment and recognition that the most pressing challenges facing humanity can best be addressed through social, economic, cultural and environmental initiatives.
The Network’s contributions to the Expo draw upon its experience in establishing best practices from integrated, comprehensive projects and interventions in over 35 countries. As a partner in association with Expo 2020’s Urban and Rural Development week, the AKDN has worked together with UAE government ministries as well as with Siemens and UN Habitat to inform the week’s vision, direction and content. It has also contributed to the Expo’s initiatives on Climate and Biodiversity, Tolerance and Inclusivity, and Knowledge and Learning.
akf-tajikistan-3.jpg
In the mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat works with communities to map natural disaster hazards and risks as an important step to building them safer habitats.
AKDN
Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai said: “Sharing ideas and knowledge is crucial and nations and organisations must work together on collaborative solutions to global challenges that affect us all. The UAE welcomes the active participation of organisations such as the Aga Khan Development Network as we seek to build a cleaner, safer, healthier world for everyone.”
Working with UAE government ministries and local and international civil society organisations, the Network is coordinating numerous presentations at Expo 2020 Dubai, including on sustainable and climate-resilient mountain development, promoting livelihoods and economies in the face of climate change, a World Majlis on engineering a balanced city, best practices in urban and rural development, music for peace and development, catalysing teacher-led innovations in education at scale, and innovating philanthropic financing – how to invest in education during times of uncertainty.
Michael Kocher, General Manager of the Aga Khan Foundation said: “The United Arab Emirates and the Aga Khan Development Network have worked closely together for many years in areas of common interest, including architecture, culture, education and health care. The AKDN’s collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai is a reflection of this abiding partnership, which is founded upon a shared commitment to addressing key concerns relating to human development, to improve the quality of life of the world’s most vulnerable populations.”
aktc-pakistan-lahore-restoration-sobia_salman_26_1.jpg
Historic restoration in Lahore, Pakistan. The AKDN operates with the belief that cultural heritage can catalyse a community, helping to raise incomes, enhancing urban spaces, and restoring pride and hope.
AKDN
In describing the partnership, Nadia Verjee, Chief of Staff for Expo 2020 Dubai Programme for People and Planet explained: “Expo 2020 Dubai is bringing together a variety of voices from around the globe to help spur collaborative action towards solving some of the world’s most pressing issues. Ideas and solutions can come from everywhere, and the Aga Khan Development Network’s expertise across topics from urban and rural development to knowledge and learning as well as climate and biodiversity issues, will enhance and strengthen our extensive programme of events and drive towards stronger and more meaningful outcomes.”
Photos at:
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/akdn ... ortunities
VIDEO: Building the Evidence Together - the Schools2030 Global Research Launch
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYwVd_9fWCw
The first annual cohort of Schools2030 researchers came together to introduce their projects and deep dive into how their research aims to support a growing body of evidence that can support improved holistic teaching and learning.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYwVd_9fWCw
The first annual cohort of Schools2030 researchers came together to introduce their projects and deep dive into how their research aims to support a growing body of evidence that can support improved holistic teaching and learning.
Aga Khan Foundation | LEGO Foundation | Learning through Play in East Africa
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmzqhb-7QPo
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zmzqhb-7QPo
International Day of Tolerance 2021 at AKF
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lTSOTWjsw
AKF celebrate pluralism and diversity on International Day of Tolerance 2021.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lTSOTWjsw
AKF celebrate pluralism and diversity on International Day of Tolerance 2021.
Jellicoe Gardens. Image: King’s Cross Press Release
23 NOV 2021
Jellicoe Gardens opens at King’s Cross
A new Persian-inspired garden opens at King’s Cross, delivered in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network.
• Located at the heart of the King’s Cross Estate the garden was designed by Tom Stuart-Smith in association with Townshend Landscape Architects
• Jellicoe Gardens has been delivered with the support of the Aga Khan Development Network. Its design is inspired by Persian landscape traditions and combines natural elements and English garden-style planting to evoke tranquillity and quiet reflection
• The new gardens pay tribute to Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, a former Camden resident and a founding member of the Landscape Institute, and members of Sir Jellicoe’s family today opened the gardens
Designed by award-winning landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith, Jellicoe Gardens has been created in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network and is inspired by early Persian landscape traditions – where sunlight, shade and water are balanced to create a place of calm, comfort and quiet reflection.
Though at a much smaller scale, the design is heavily influenced by great garden of the 16th century Bagh-e Fin, a traditional Persian garden located in Kashan, Iran. These Persian elements are combined with English garden-style planting to create an informal meadow-like character full of colour and texture – a blending of the two cultures.
The gardens pay tribute to Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe (8 October 1900 – 17 July 1996), a renowned architect and town planner, landscape architect and garden designer. A Camden resident and a founding member of the Landscape Institute, Sir Geoffrey was involved in the 1960s campaign to save St Pancras Station. His works include the extensive gardens at Shute House, Donhead St Mary, Wiltshire, which were reportedly his favourite project. They are considered by many horticulturalists to be his finest work and place a focus on water, which is a central component of Jellicoe Gardens. Michael Pares, nephew of Sir Jellicoe, officially opened the new gardens to the public today.
Jellicoe Gardens sits between the Aga Khan Centre – itself home to six gardens, terraces and courtyards inspired by different parts of the Islamic world – and the residential developments Luma and Fenman House. The opening of the gardens represents a significant new public space in the northern part of the King’s Cross Estate. It provides a tranquil oasis for local residents and visitors and forms part of the 26 acres of public realm available at King’s Cross, including iconic spaces like Granary Square and Gasholder Park.
The Jellicoe Gardens project has been delivered by a team of expert partners. The gardens themselves were designed by Tom Stuart-Smith in association with Townshend Landscape Architects. Bell Phillips Architects designed the pavilion that acts as a grand focal point at the heart of the gardens.
The pavilion includes an axial water feature and roof patterns inspired by traditional Islamic Girih tiling. Townshend Landscape Architects, the masterplan landscape architects for King’s Cross, were responsible for the paving and pathways within the garden and their integration with the wider public realm. Maylim acted as the lead contractor on the project and additional support came from Applied Landscape Design, Spiers & Major, The Fountain Workshop, Stantec, Arup, Price and Myers, Hoare Lea, Gardiner & Theobold, Control Lighting, Waterscapes, Willerbys, Michael Londsdale Group, and SH Structures.
Robert Evans, CEO of King’s Cross, comments: “Jellicoe Gardens is a beautiful, special place – a true oasis at the heart of King’s Cross, where local residents, workers and visitors, can come to pause and reflect. Gardens like this are more important than ever and Jellicoe Gardens both complements and contrasts with other, busier spaces within the Estate such as Granary Square, Cubitt Square and Coal Drops Yard.
“High quality, thoughtful landscape design has played a pivotal role in the transformation of King’s Cross and so it is fitting that these new gardens present an opportunity to pay tribute to an important local figure in landscape and garden design, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe.”
Hanif Kara, representing the Aga Khan Development Network comments: “The Aga Khan Development Network is delighted to make this contribution to the public realm in King’s Cross and to complete a ribbon pathway of green spaces inspired by different parts of the Islamic world that His Highness the Aga Khan envisaged when we first started planning our projects on this estate.
“Through these green spaces – six in the Aga Khan Centre, two in nearby Victoria Hall, the fountains in Lewis Cubitt Square, and now Jellicoe Gardens – visitors to King’s Cross can gain new insights about the diversity of Islamic landscape design originating from different geographic regions and see their contributions to garden design around the world. We thank Tom Stuart-Smith for bringing this unique garden so brilliantly to life and King’s Cross Central for sharing in our vision.”
https://www.kingscross.co.uk/press/2021 ... ings-cross
Mozambique: Norwegian support for IDP and host communities in Cabo Delgado
The Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Aga Khan Mozambique Foundation with a view to supporting around 3,000 families – both displaced persons and their hosts – in Metuge and Chiure districts, Cabo Delgado.
The project, budgeted at more than US$1 million, aims to contribute to the development and recovery of agricultural activity in displaced communities through the provision of materials, agricultural inputs and technical knowledge.
The initiative targets women and young people from the districts of Chiure and Metuge in Cabo Delgado province, and will be implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation in Mozambique with financial support from the Norwegian Embassy.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by the national director of the Aga Khan Foundation, Agostinho Mamade, and advisor to the Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique, Sissel Idland.
This project is a reinforcement of an already existing partnership between the Embassy and the Aga Khan Foundation.
The institutions have a partnership of several years standing in the implementation of community development projects in Cabo Delgado, with a highlight on the Bilibiza Agrarian Institute improvement and modernisation project.
The Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Nazim Ahmad thanked Norway for its support, recalling that the Aga Khan Foundation Mozambique (FAK)had been active in Cabo Delgado since 2000, with the improvement of the quality of life of the local population one of its main concerns.
https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozam ... 25c8c5fc8d
The Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Aga Khan Mozambique Foundation with a view to supporting around 3,000 families – both displaced persons and their hosts – in Metuge and Chiure districts, Cabo Delgado.
The project, budgeted at more than US$1 million, aims to contribute to the development and recovery of agricultural activity in displaced communities through the provision of materials, agricultural inputs and technical knowledge.
The initiative targets women and young people from the districts of Chiure and Metuge in Cabo Delgado province, and will be implemented by the Aga Khan Foundation in Mozambique with financial support from the Norwegian Embassy.
The memorandum of understanding was signed by the national director of the Aga Khan Foundation, Agostinho Mamade, and advisor to the Norwegian Embassy in Mozambique, Sissel Idland.
This project is a reinforcement of an already existing partnership between the Embassy and the Aga Khan Foundation.
The institutions have a partnership of several years standing in the implementation of community development projects in Cabo Delgado, with a highlight on the Bilibiza Agrarian Institute improvement and modernisation project.
The Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Nazim Ahmad thanked Norway for its support, recalling that the Aga Khan Foundation Mozambique (FAK)had been active in Cabo Delgado since 2000, with the improvement of the quality of life of the local population one of its main concerns.
https://clubofmozambique.com/news/mozam ... 25c8c5fc8d
Schools2030 shares its approach at global education summit RewirEd
Dubai, UAE (Expo 2020), 15 December 2021 – At the global education summit hosted by Dubai Cares, representatives from Schools2030 – the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)’s flagship education programme – shared its approach to catalyse teacher and school-driven holistic learning innovations and achieve SDG4.
Rewiring education means thinking differently. For many years the global community has worked tirelessly towards the Sustainable Development Goals, yet the very best of intentions and millions of dollars spent has not changed the education landscape significantly enough for many marginalised learners across the world.
Now in the face of conflicts, climate change and the ongoing pandemic, ensuring access to quality education means rethinking – or rewiring – the sector’s approach to tackle these challenges head on in coordination with communities, as well as at the global level.
"The quality of education for our next generation remains the key ingredient to global progress,” remarked Michael Kocher, AKF General Manager. “That’s why I very much look forward to joining RewirEd Summit partners to think differently, plan more inclusively and act more boldly to ensure quality education for all."
His Excellency, Dr Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares said: “The future of education needs a complete rewiring of our existing systems and models that have remained unchanged for decades… The goal of the RewirEd Summit is to provide entities like the Aga Khan Foundation [the opportunity] to come forward and share their views and insights on what the roadmap for the future of education looks like.”
Working for long-term education systems change, Schools2030 is a 10-year programme in 1,000 government schools in 10 countries, supporting schools and teachers to become “the centre of social change, not the target”, said Dr. Bronwen Magrath, Schools2030 Global Programme Manager. “We believe educational change can only happen when it is initiated and owned by teachers, learners and school communities.”
With this flipped mindset, the AKF delegation at RewirEd included global leadership, country-level staff and teachers from Schools2030 communities, all in dialogue with partners and education organisations about how best to support teachers and learners to drive the much-needed change. During the three-day summit (12-14 December), sessions focused on a future of learning that is school-driven, holistic, climate-resilient, equitable and pluralistic.
akf-kenya-100424_r.jpg
With Dubai Cares, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in East Africa is integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into its programming.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Summit host Dubai Cares is a founding member of the consortium behind Schools2030, alongside AKF and nine other donors – LEGO Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, Porticus, Oak Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Education Cannot Wait, Itau Social, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and USAID. Part of the unique approach of Schools2030 is not just in driving innovation from the bottom-up, but also rewiring collaboration and partnerships – leveraging as it does not only financial support for its mandate but also the technical expertise of its partners.
Against the backdrop of continuing uncertainty wrought by COVID-19, innovation in the education sector – and indeed every sector – is certainly the zeitgeist, and the RewirEd Summit provided the perfect opportunity for advancing that timely agenda.
The full itinerary and speaker list for AKF participation at the summit can be found on the Schools2030 website https://schools2030.org/events/rewired-dubai-expo/.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah James at [email protected]
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/scho ... it-rewired
Dubai, UAE (Expo 2020), 15 December 2021 – At the global education summit hosted by Dubai Cares, representatives from Schools2030 – the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)’s flagship education programme – shared its approach to catalyse teacher and school-driven holistic learning innovations and achieve SDG4.
Rewiring education means thinking differently. For many years the global community has worked tirelessly towards the Sustainable Development Goals, yet the very best of intentions and millions of dollars spent has not changed the education landscape significantly enough for many marginalised learners across the world.
Now in the face of conflicts, climate change and the ongoing pandemic, ensuring access to quality education means rethinking – or rewiring – the sector’s approach to tackle these challenges head on in coordination with communities, as well as at the global level.
"The quality of education for our next generation remains the key ingredient to global progress,” remarked Michael Kocher, AKF General Manager. “That’s why I very much look forward to joining RewirEd Summit partners to think differently, plan more inclusively and act more boldly to ensure quality education for all."
His Excellency, Dr Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares said: “The future of education needs a complete rewiring of our existing systems and models that have remained unchanged for decades… The goal of the RewirEd Summit is to provide entities like the Aga Khan Foundation [the opportunity] to come forward and share their views and insights on what the roadmap for the future of education looks like.”
Working for long-term education systems change, Schools2030 is a 10-year programme in 1,000 government schools in 10 countries, supporting schools and teachers to become “the centre of social change, not the target”, said Dr. Bronwen Magrath, Schools2030 Global Programme Manager. “We believe educational change can only happen when it is initiated and owned by teachers, learners and school communities.”
With this flipped mindset, the AKF delegation at RewirEd included global leadership, country-level staff and teachers from Schools2030 communities, all in dialogue with partners and education organisations about how best to support teachers and learners to drive the much-needed change. During the three-day summit (12-14 December), sessions focused on a future of learning that is school-driven, holistic, climate-resilient, equitable and pluralistic.
akf-kenya-100424_r.jpg
With Dubai Cares, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in East Africa is integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into its programming.
AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Summit host Dubai Cares is a founding member of the consortium behind Schools2030, alongside AKF and nine other donors – LEGO Foundation, Jacobs Foundation, Porticus, Oak Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Education Cannot Wait, Itau Social, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund and USAID. Part of the unique approach of Schools2030 is not just in driving innovation from the bottom-up, but also rewiring collaboration and partnerships – leveraging as it does not only financial support for its mandate but also the technical expertise of its partners.
Against the backdrop of continuing uncertainty wrought by COVID-19, innovation in the education sector – and indeed every sector – is certainly the zeitgeist, and the RewirEd Summit provided the perfect opportunity for advancing that timely agenda.
The full itinerary and speaker list for AKF participation at the summit can be found on the Schools2030 website https://schools2030.org/events/rewired-dubai-expo/.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah James at [email protected]
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/scho ... it-rewired
Introducing: The Learning Hub
The Aga Khan Foundation has launched a free online platform to strengthen the skills and knowledge of development practitioners around the world
Drawing on over 50 years of experience in international development, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is proud to launch The Learning Hub, a free online platform aimed at strengthening practitioners and empowering communities. The Learning Hub is home to a plethora of learning content developed by AKF and more than 30 of its partner organisations. It can be accessed anytime, anywhere, completely free of charge.
The Learning Hub captures the Foundation’s best practices and lessons learned in international development. These have been condensed into more than 100 video-based and blended learning courses and over 70 instructional videos, as well as numerous webinars, guides and toolkits. Learners will find practical, easily applicable and locally relevant resources available in over 20 languages, including Portuguese, English, Arabic, Gujarati and Swahili. Through this new digital platform, AKF aims to significantly increase the number of people who can access the knowledge to lift up their communities and improve the quality of life.
AKF is one of the world’s leading international development organisations operating in 18 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Its new Learning Hub enables development actors and the communities they work with to access quality learning content that combines global best practice with local knowledge. Its content is produced by local community-based teams, embodying the Foundation’s ethical imperative that “the person of knowledge and wisdom carries the greater obligation of sharing it”.
Learners can explore hundreds of resources across various development areas and in multiple languages.
The model for The Learning Hub’s video-based learning content emerged from a human-centred design process conducted in 2014 with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Mozambique, co-funded by La Caixa Foundation. Facing a lack of affordable and engaging training opportunities adapted to local needs, the CSOs prototyped a blended learning course that emphasised cost-effectiveness, active learning, and local relevance. This model was later expanded to other geographies including Egypt, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to enable local development actors to create their own courses with AKF’s support. Today, this content forms the basis of The Learning Hub.
“The Learning Hub is designed by practitioners, for practitioners,” says Ana Barfield, AKF’s Global Practice Manager, “it’s for everyone, from teachers and entrepreneurs to civil society staff and government officials. Crucially, the resources are drawn from AKF’s and its partners’ longstanding experience in diverse and often remote, challenging environments. Learners can rest assured that the tools, approaches and methods shared through the resources have been successfully tried and tested in the field.”
“Crucially, the resources are drawn from AKF’s and its partners’ longstanding experience in diverse and often remote, challenging environments. Learners can rest assured that the tools, approaches and methods shared through the resources have been successfully tried and tested in the field.”
Ana Barfield, Global Practice Manager, AKF
Content on The Learning Hub is focused on addressing the most critical areas of development today including agriculture and food security, civil society strengthening, climate resilience, early childhood development, education, health and nutrition, and work and enterprise. This content contributes to 15 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
To access the Learning Hub’s resources, users simply need to search for a development area they are interested in – for example, ‘inclusive classrooms’ – and select the relevant course in their local language. Content can then be easily shared across social networks.
“I am able to train myself and others! I have worked on some proposals and my presentation skills have improved a lot. It has transformed me professionally,” said a CSO member in Mozambique, who has used courses now available on The Learning Hub to develop their skills.
“I am able to train myself and others! I have worked on some proposals and my presentation skills have improved a lot. It has transformed me professionally.”
CSO member and Learning Hub learner, Mozambique
By continuing to work closely with communities, governments, and other partners, AKF will enrich The Learning Hub over time, adding fresh content that is relevant, effective and engaging for its learners. The platform aims to contribute towards a more collaborative and locally led development sector by providing a global platform for grassroots knowledge and expertise.
EXPLORE NOW https://akflearninghub.org/
https://www.akf.org.uk/introducing-the- ... 25c8c5fc8d
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PBS NewsHour lists AKDN as one of five organisations effectively delivering aid in Afghanistan
In a recent article, PBS NewsHour highlights the harsh conditions Afghans are experiencing this winter, and includes Aga Khan Development Network and AKF in the list of organisations supporting relief efforts.
https://www-pbs-org.cdn.ampproject.org/ ... 25c8c5fc8d
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What we're watching Accelerate Prosperity's Impact Odyssey series
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Oaaj7xvxM
Kamal Energy a client of Accelerate Prosperity
In the first of Accelerate Prosperity's (AP) series we meet Kamal Energy, a Pakistani company pioneering green energy solutions in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, by helping households & businesses access affordable solar energy.
Impact Odyssey is a new AP series featuring some of the entrepreneurs and their remarkable stories of impact. AP is a joint venture of AKF and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development which aims to provide technical expertise, creative financing solutions and market connections for small and growing businesses across Central Asia.
Follow the series on AP's Impact Odyssey page and watch out for new stories every Friday.
The Aga Khan Foundation has launched a free online platform to strengthen the skills and knowledge of development practitioners around the world
Drawing on over 50 years of experience in international development, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is proud to launch The Learning Hub, a free online platform aimed at strengthening practitioners and empowering communities. The Learning Hub is home to a plethora of learning content developed by AKF and more than 30 of its partner organisations. It can be accessed anytime, anywhere, completely free of charge.
The Learning Hub captures the Foundation’s best practices and lessons learned in international development. These have been condensed into more than 100 video-based and blended learning courses and over 70 instructional videos, as well as numerous webinars, guides and toolkits. Learners will find practical, easily applicable and locally relevant resources available in over 20 languages, including Portuguese, English, Arabic, Gujarati and Swahili. Through this new digital platform, AKF aims to significantly increase the number of people who can access the knowledge to lift up their communities and improve the quality of life.
AKF is one of the world’s leading international development organisations operating in 18 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Its new Learning Hub enables development actors and the communities they work with to access quality learning content that combines global best practice with local knowledge. Its content is produced by local community-based teams, embodying the Foundation’s ethical imperative that “the person of knowledge and wisdom carries the greater obligation of sharing it”.
Learners can explore hundreds of resources across various development areas and in multiple languages.
The model for The Learning Hub’s video-based learning content emerged from a human-centred design process conducted in 2014 with civil society organisations (CSOs) in Mozambique, co-funded by La Caixa Foundation. Facing a lack of affordable and engaging training opportunities adapted to local needs, the CSOs prototyped a blended learning course that emphasised cost-effectiveness, active learning, and local relevance. This model was later expanded to other geographies including Egypt, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to enable local development actors to create their own courses with AKF’s support. Today, this content forms the basis of The Learning Hub.
“The Learning Hub is designed by practitioners, for practitioners,” says Ana Barfield, AKF’s Global Practice Manager, “it’s for everyone, from teachers and entrepreneurs to civil society staff and government officials. Crucially, the resources are drawn from AKF’s and its partners’ longstanding experience in diverse and often remote, challenging environments. Learners can rest assured that the tools, approaches and methods shared through the resources have been successfully tried and tested in the field.”
“Crucially, the resources are drawn from AKF’s and its partners’ longstanding experience in diverse and often remote, challenging environments. Learners can rest assured that the tools, approaches and methods shared through the resources have been successfully tried and tested in the field.”
Ana Barfield, Global Practice Manager, AKF
Content on The Learning Hub is focused on addressing the most critical areas of development today including agriculture and food security, civil society strengthening, climate resilience, early childhood development, education, health and nutrition, and work and enterprise. This content contributes to 15 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
To access the Learning Hub’s resources, users simply need to search for a development area they are interested in – for example, ‘inclusive classrooms’ – and select the relevant course in their local language. Content can then be easily shared across social networks.
“I am able to train myself and others! I have worked on some proposals and my presentation skills have improved a lot. It has transformed me professionally,” said a CSO member in Mozambique, who has used courses now available on The Learning Hub to develop their skills.
“I am able to train myself and others! I have worked on some proposals and my presentation skills have improved a lot. It has transformed me professionally.”
CSO member and Learning Hub learner, Mozambique
By continuing to work closely with communities, governments, and other partners, AKF will enrich The Learning Hub over time, adding fresh content that is relevant, effective and engaging for its learners. The platform aims to contribute towards a more collaborative and locally led development sector by providing a global platform for grassroots knowledge and expertise.
EXPLORE NOW https://akflearninghub.org/
https://www.akf.org.uk/introducing-the- ... 25c8c5fc8d
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PBS NewsHour lists AKDN as one of five organisations effectively delivering aid in Afghanistan
In a recent article, PBS NewsHour highlights the harsh conditions Afghans are experiencing this winter, and includes Aga Khan Development Network and AKF in the list of organisations supporting relief efforts.
https://www-pbs-org.cdn.ampproject.org/ ... 25c8c5fc8d
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What we're watching Accelerate Prosperity's Impact Odyssey series
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Oaaj7xvxM
Kamal Energy a client of Accelerate Prosperity
In the first of Accelerate Prosperity's (AP) series we meet Kamal Energy, a Pakistani company pioneering green energy solutions in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, by helping households & businesses access affordable solar energy.
Impact Odyssey is a new AP series featuring some of the entrepreneurs and their remarkable stories of impact. AP is a joint venture of AKF and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development which aims to provide technical expertise, creative financing solutions and market connections for small and growing businesses across Central Asia.
Follow the series on AP's Impact Odyssey page and watch out for new stories every Friday.
Re: AKDN / AKF INITIATIVES WORLDWIDE
Jubilee to construct Sh9.2 billion headquarters in Tanzania
Jubilee board chairman Nizar Juma
Summary
- The company’s subsidiaries and associates in Tanzania include Jubilee Life Insurance Corporation of Tanzania Limited and Jubilee Investments Tanzania Limited.
- Tanzania has been the only market where Jubilee is leasing offices, with the insurer preferring to own the properties housing its operations.
Nairobi. Jubilee Holdings is spending $4 million (Sh9 billion) to build a head office for its Tanzanian operations in a move that will save the insurer tens of millions of shillings in rent.
The development comes as the insurer also plans to move its group corporate headquarters from Nairobi’s Wabera Street to Upper Hill in a building previously owned by Coca-Cola .
“We are building headquarters for our Tanzania business in Dar es Salaam. That is going to cost us $4 million,” Jubilee’s chairman Nizar Juma told the Business Daily.
“We have owned land there for many years and we feel this is the right time to build the headquarters.
He added that the decision will see the company save the $400,000 that its subsidiaries operating in Tanzania have been paying in rent annually.
The company’s subsidiaries and associates in Tanzania include Jubilee Life Insurance Corporation of Tanzania Limited and Jubilee Investments Tanzania Limited.
Groundbreaking for the office, which will have views of the sea from the first floor, will begin in the next few weeks.
The building is designed with an inclination toward environmental sustainability, Mr Juma said.
Tanzania has been the only market where Jubilee is leasing offices, with the insurer preferring to own the properties housing its operations.
The company will rent out part of its current head office – Jubilee Insurance House on Wabera Street— after moving to the Upper Hill property in September.
Mr Juma said the insurer got a bargain in buying the property sitting on 3.2 acres and which had been on the market for more than two years.
Jubilee says the expansion and renovation of the newly acquired property will enable it to accommodate its operations. The upgrade will feature the construction of an amphitheatre.
The three-story complex is currently categorised as a Grade A office with 116,350 square feet of space and 130 parking bays.
Other amenities include a sound-proof auditorium, gym, fitness studios, and a cafeteria. Only one acre is developed.
The transaction expands Jubilee’s investment in the real estate market. Through PDM Holdings Limited, the insurance group has interests in Nairobi’s IPS Building, Nation Centre, and Courtyard among others.
https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/n ... ia-3778396
Jubilee board chairman Nizar Juma
Summary
- The company’s subsidiaries and associates in Tanzania include Jubilee Life Insurance Corporation of Tanzania Limited and Jubilee Investments Tanzania Limited.
- Tanzania has been the only market where Jubilee is leasing offices, with the insurer preferring to own the properties housing its operations.
Nairobi. Jubilee Holdings is spending $4 million (Sh9 billion) to build a head office for its Tanzanian operations in a move that will save the insurer tens of millions of shillings in rent.
The development comes as the insurer also plans to move its group corporate headquarters from Nairobi’s Wabera Street to Upper Hill in a building previously owned by Coca-Cola .
“We are building headquarters for our Tanzania business in Dar es Salaam. That is going to cost us $4 million,” Jubilee’s chairman Nizar Juma told the Business Daily.
“We have owned land there for many years and we feel this is the right time to build the headquarters.
He added that the decision will see the company save the $400,000 that its subsidiaries operating in Tanzania have been paying in rent annually.
The company’s subsidiaries and associates in Tanzania include Jubilee Life Insurance Corporation of Tanzania Limited and Jubilee Investments Tanzania Limited.
Groundbreaking for the office, which will have views of the sea from the first floor, will begin in the next few weeks.
The building is designed with an inclination toward environmental sustainability, Mr Juma said.
Tanzania has been the only market where Jubilee is leasing offices, with the insurer preferring to own the properties housing its operations.
The company will rent out part of its current head office – Jubilee Insurance House on Wabera Street— after moving to the Upper Hill property in September.
Mr Juma said the insurer got a bargain in buying the property sitting on 3.2 acres and which had been on the market for more than two years.
Jubilee says the expansion and renovation of the newly acquired property will enable it to accommodate its operations. The upgrade will feature the construction of an amphitheatre.
The three-story complex is currently categorised as a Grade A office with 116,350 square feet of space and 130 parking bays.
Other amenities include a sound-proof auditorium, gym, fitness studios, and a cafeteria. Only one acre is developed.
The transaction expands Jubilee’s investment in the real estate market. Through PDM Holdings Limited, the insurance group has interests in Nairobi’s IPS Building, Nation Centre, and Courtyard among others.
https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/n ... ia-3778396
Imamat's Holistic Vision of Development
Video Quote: Imamat's Holistic Vision of Development
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvGZ9RmcCng
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvGZ9RmcCng
Schools2030 India Innovations
Schools2030 India Innovations: the Volunteer Learning Activity Centres
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGqqAVB44hY
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Schools2030 India Innovations: Learning Walls
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRgXkI0Wccw
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Schools2030 India Innovations: The Learning at Home Kit[/img]
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuVo23KEUvQ
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGqqAVB44hY
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Schools2030 India Innovations: Learning Walls
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRgXkI0Wccw
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Schools2030 India Innovations: The Learning at Home Kit[/img]
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuVo23KEUvQ
Allianz completes acquisition of Jubilee Insurance Tanzania
Summary
This is the fourth acquisition to be completed as part of an agreement announced on September 29, 2020, wherein Allianz agreed to acquire the majority shareholding in the short-term general (property and casualty) insurance business operations of JHL in five countries in Africa, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Mauritius.
Dar es Salaam. The Allianz, one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers has become the majority shareholder in Jubilee General Insurance Company of Tanzania Limited.
This transaction consists of Allianz acquiring 51 percent stake of ordinary shares from Jubilee Holdings Limited and Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) combined.
Jubilee Holdings Limited (JHL) will retain a 15 percent stake and the 6 minority shareholders will maintain their total of 34 percent shares in the company.
As part of the transaction, Jubilee General Insurance Company of Tanzania Limited will change its name in due course to Jubilee Allianz General Insurance Company Limited, subject to approvals.
This is the fourth acquisition to be completed as part of an agreement announced on September 29, 2020, wherein Allianz agreed to acquire the majority shareholding in the short-term general (property and casualty) insurance business operations of JHL in five countries in Africa, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Mauritius.
The first acquisition, in Kenya, was completed on May 4, 2021, while Uganda and Burundi were completed in October 2021 and March 2022 respectively. The closing of the transaction in Mauritius will follow shortly, subject to regulatory approvals.
“This is another step towards expanding Allianz’s footprint in Africa. We are really proud of the progress and we are looking forward to working together with Jubilee to offer premium service delivery in the insurance space of East Africa.”, says Delphine Traoré, Allianz Africa Regional CEO.
Jubilee Holdings Group Chairman, Mr Nizar Juma affirmed that with the support of both teams and the regulators, Jubilee Holdings and Allianz SE have once again strengthened the Jubilee Holdings Group Chairman, Mr Nizar Juma affirmed that with the support of both teams and the regulators, Jubilee Holdings and Allianz SE have once again strengthened the commitment of broadening insurance in Tanzania and East Africa at large.
“The combined strengths of the two brands presents us with a perfect opportunity to further grow the insurance industry in the Tanzanian market. These synergies will go a long way in placing Tanzania on a higher pedestal in as far insurance penetration is concerned,” Juma noted.
Allianz and JHL will continue to work together to finalize the acquisitions in Mauritius.
https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/n ... ia-3820464
Stories of Hope: empowering East Africa’s next generation of journalists
As part of a wider programme to strengthen East Africa’s response to COVID-19, AKF is working with the EU to bolster the skills of the region’s young journalists
“In a time of a pandemic, where we as human beings had to adapt so much, telling stories of how people did that is very important. It shows we are capable of being human and going with whatever odds are thrown at us.”
Tutu Tusiime – Journalist, Uganda
Tutu is a young journalist from Uganda. She is one of 20 journalists taking part in the Stories of Hope project, an initiative of AKF and the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) in Nairobi, supported by the European Union (EU). Through this project, Tutu and her peers from across Uganda and Kenya are growing their journalistic skills to produce and publish stories of hope emerging from their local communities amidst COVID-19.
The impacts of the pandemic in East Africa are profound and multifaceted. The region is significantly vulnerable due to existing underlying socio-economic fragilities, and both formal and informal economies have been hit hard. Moreover, the physical and mental health of the population is being threatened by overwhelmed health systems. All of this, coupled with media sensationalising, has contributed to an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Yet, the resilience of East Africa’s communities shines through, offering stories of hope and optimism which this group of young journalists has been tasked with sharing.
On a recent visit to Kenya, I had the opportunity to meet Tutu and three of her fellow journalists taking part in the project. In true pandemic style, the meetings were hybrid in format; two in person (Elizabeth and Zeynab, who are both from Kenya) and two over Zoom (Tutu and Boaz, both Ugandan). As the interviewers became interviewees, I was inspired by their passion for telling local stories, as well as their drive in becoming East Africa’s next generation of journalists.
The Aga Khan University in Nairobi, home to GSMC
While the course is designed for young people between 21 and 28 years old, all the learners are professional, working journalists. Elizabeth, for example, covers celebrity stories as a lifestyle journalist, whilst Zeynab is a TV journalist and one of the only graduates from her university class working in TV. She told me, “When people watch the news, they relate more when they see someone who’s like them on TV. When stories are told by people who are actually from the places they’re telling stories about, people relate more.”
“When people watch the news, they relate more when they see someone who’s like them on TV. When stories are told by people who are actually from the places they’re telling stories about, people relate more.”
Zeynab Mohammed – Journalist, Kenya
This organic relatability is vital to Zeynab’s work, as it enables her to build a stronger rapport with her subjects. Tutu agreed, laughing as she told me that she often finds herself with two or three hour-long interviews to transcribe because the conversations flow so naturally. For Tutu, being a local journalist means the context of the story is always accessible, “I’m usually researching something that I have either experienced myself or seen happen in my community”, she said.
Elizabeth Ngigi
Zeynab Mohammed
Training young journalists born and raised in the region is central to the project, as Alykhan Peermohamed, Head of Training at GSMC, explains, “African countries have very youthful populations. Young people are generally placing a lot more value on freedom of speech and expression, more than previous generations ever did. By empowering young journalists, we’re helping them to tell factual, accurate and objective stories.”
“African countries have very youthful populations. Young people are generally placing a lot more value on freedom of speech and expression more than previous generations ever did. By empowering young journalists, we’re helping them to tell factual, accurate and objective stories.”
Akykhan Peermohamed – Head of Training, GSMC Nairobi
Working in the media in East Africa doesn’t come without its challenges. Boaz, the only man in the group of journalists I met, spoke of censorship and the risks that come with being a journalist in a media landscape that is so intertwined with politics. Often, this complexity affects the types of stories that are published. Zeynab told me, “There are stories that get instant facilitation, particularly if they have a political focus. If I want to tell a positive story about mental health, I might be told ‘let’s put this on hold for now’.”
As a woman, Zeynab and her female peers often contend with being perceived as less credible, and Tutu spoke of having to prove herself and her skills, “Sometimes people say they will only speak to me for five or ten minutes because I’m just a 20-something year old girl, but then we end up speaking for double that time. I just have to prove myself.”
Tutu Tusiime
Boaz Namanya
As well as these challenges, we discussed difficulties in finding work and training opportunities, which is why the Stories of Hope project has made such an impact. “They’re working, practising professionals,” said Alykhan, “we aren’t trying to teach them journalism. What we want to do is equip them with the skills to reach different audiences and tell better stories with an array of depth and data.”
The cohort of journalists came to the training with real-life experience under their belt, but as Elizabeth said, “journalism doesn’t stop evolving”. She told me how at university, she learned to edit videos on a computer, but through this training she can now edit videos at the touch of her fingertips on her mobile phone. Learning mobile journalism – shooting, editing and publishing a story entirely from mobile – was a highlight for the whole group, who often work in remote settings with limited equipment. Tutu said, “I came in this as just a writer, but now I can offer other features like multimedia, audio visual and data journalism. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
“I came in this as just a writer, but now I can offer other features like multimedia, audio visual and data journalism. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Tutu – Journalist, Uganda
As well as empowering young journalists with new skills, the project’s overarching aim is to share stories of hope amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The first batch of inspiring stories have been published and their emphasis on positivity is evident. For the journalists I met, this came as light relief between the typical stories found in the media at the moment. Boaz said, “Life doesn’t have to end with COVID, life has to continue. We’re telling these stories where we have reach, and I feel it is energising and important to tell these stories in society.”
Just as the journalists are telling their own positive stories, after meeting them I was inspired to share my own story of hope – the story of Boaz, Elizabeth, Tutu and Zeynab, who represent hope for the future of journalism in East Africa. Their desire to learn and keep growing their knowledge, as well as their camaraderie as a team was palpable, and I can’t wait to see where this experience will take them next.
Read the first batch of published stories https://sites.google.com/view/storiesof ... authuser=0 from the Stories of Hope project, including Elizabeth’s, Tutu’s and Boaz’s stories.
A special thank you to Boaz Namanya, Elizabeth Ngigi, Tutu Tusiime and Zeynab Mohammed who contributed to this article, and to the GSMC team who facilitated the visit.
This is a project funded by the European Union and the Aga Khan Foundation and implemented by agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
https://www.akf.org.uk/stories-of-hope- ... 25c8c5fc8d
“In a time of a pandemic, where we as human beings had to adapt so much, telling stories of how people did that is very important. It shows we are capable of being human and going with whatever odds are thrown at us.”
Tutu Tusiime – Journalist, Uganda
Tutu is a young journalist from Uganda. She is one of 20 journalists taking part in the Stories of Hope project, an initiative of AKF and the Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) in Nairobi, supported by the European Union (EU). Through this project, Tutu and her peers from across Uganda and Kenya are growing their journalistic skills to produce and publish stories of hope emerging from their local communities amidst COVID-19.
The impacts of the pandemic in East Africa are profound and multifaceted. The region is significantly vulnerable due to existing underlying socio-economic fragilities, and both formal and informal economies have been hit hard. Moreover, the physical and mental health of the population is being threatened by overwhelmed health systems. All of this, coupled with media sensationalising, has contributed to an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. Yet, the resilience of East Africa’s communities shines through, offering stories of hope and optimism which this group of young journalists has been tasked with sharing.
On a recent visit to Kenya, I had the opportunity to meet Tutu and three of her fellow journalists taking part in the project. In true pandemic style, the meetings were hybrid in format; two in person (Elizabeth and Zeynab, who are both from Kenya) and two over Zoom (Tutu and Boaz, both Ugandan). As the interviewers became interviewees, I was inspired by their passion for telling local stories, as well as their drive in becoming East Africa’s next generation of journalists.
The Aga Khan University in Nairobi, home to GSMC
While the course is designed for young people between 21 and 28 years old, all the learners are professional, working journalists. Elizabeth, for example, covers celebrity stories as a lifestyle journalist, whilst Zeynab is a TV journalist and one of the only graduates from her university class working in TV. She told me, “When people watch the news, they relate more when they see someone who’s like them on TV. When stories are told by people who are actually from the places they’re telling stories about, people relate more.”
“When people watch the news, they relate more when they see someone who’s like them on TV. When stories are told by people who are actually from the places they’re telling stories about, people relate more.”
Zeynab Mohammed – Journalist, Kenya
This organic relatability is vital to Zeynab’s work, as it enables her to build a stronger rapport with her subjects. Tutu agreed, laughing as she told me that she often finds herself with two or three hour-long interviews to transcribe because the conversations flow so naturally. For Tutu, being a local journalist means the context of the story is always accessible, “I’m usually researching something that I have either experienced myself or seen happen in my community”, she said.
Elizabeth Ngigi
Zeynab Mohammed
Training young journalists born and raised in the region is central to the project, as Alykhan Peermohamed, Head of Training at GSMC, explains, “African countries have very youthful populations. Young people are generally placing a lot more value on freedom of speech and expression, more than previous generations ever did. By empowering young journalists, we’re helping them to tell factual, accurate and objective stories.”
“African countries have very youthful populations. Young people are generally placing a lot more value on freedom of speech and expression more than previous generations ever did. By empowering young journalists, we’re helping them to tell factual, accurate and objective stories.”
Akykhan Peermohamed – Head of Training, GSMC Nairobi
Working in the media in East Africa doesn’t come without its challenges. Boaz, the only man in the group of journalists I met, spoke of censorship and the risks that come with being a journalist in a media landscape that is so intertwined with politics. Often, this complexity affects the types of stories that are published. Zeynab told me, “There are stories that get instant facilitation, particularly if they have a political focus. If I want to tell a positive story about mental health, I might be told ‘let’s put this on hold for now’.”
As a woman, Zeynab and her female peers often contend with being perceived as less credible, and Tutu spoke of having to prove herself and her skills, “Sometimes people say they will only speak to me for five or ten minutes because I’m just a 20-something year old girl, but then we end up speaking for double that time. I just have to prove myself.”
Tutu Tusiime
Boaz Namanya
As well as these challenges, we discussed difficulties in finding work and training opportunities, which is why the Stories of Hope project has made such an impact. “They’re working, practising professionals,” said Alykhan, “we aren’t trying to teach them journalism. What we want to do is equip them with the skills to reach different audiences and tell better stories with an array of depth and data.”
The cohort of journalists came to the training with real-life experience under their belt, but as Elizabeth said, “journalism doesn’t stop evolving”. She told me how at university, she learned to edit videos on a computer, but through this training she can now edit videos at the touch of her fingertips on her mobile phone. Learning mobile journalism – shooting, editing and publishing a story entirely from mobile – was a highlight for the whole group, who often work in remote settings with limited equipment. Tutu said, “I came in this as just a writer, but now I can offer other features like multimedia, audio visual and data journalism. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
“I came in this as just a writer, but now I can offer other features like multimedia, audio visual and data journalism. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Tutu – Journalist, Uganda
As well as empowering young journalists with new skills, the project’s overarching aim is to share stories of hope amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The first batch of inspiring stories have been published and their emphasis on positivity is evident. For the journalists I met, this came as light relief between the typical stories found in the media at the moment. Boaz said, “Life doesn’t have to end with COVID, life has to continue. We’re telling these stories where we have reach, and I feel it is energising and important to tell these stories in society.”
Just as the journalists are telling their own positive stories, after meeting them I was inspired to share my own story of hope – the story of Boaz, Elizabeth, Tutu and Zeynab, who represent hope for the future of journalism in East Africa. Their desire to learn and keep growing their knowledge, as well as their camaraderie as a team was palpable, and I can’t wait to see where this experience will take them next.
Read the first batch of published stories https://sites.google.com/view/storiesof ... authuser=0 from the Stories of Hope project, including Elizabeth’s, Tutu’s and Boaz’s stories.
A special thank you to Boaz Namanya, Elizabeth Ngigi, Tutu Tusiime and Zeynab Mohammed who contributed to this article, and to the GSMC team who facilitated the visit.
This is a project funded by the European Union and the Aga Khan Foundation and implemented by agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
https://www.akf.org.uk/stories-of-hope- ... 25c8c5fc8d
Central Asia Stunting Reduction Initiative
Central Asia Stunting Reduction Initiative—Aga Khan Foundation
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBeQ3NlfVeY
The Aga Khan Foundation's Central Asia Stunting Reduction Initiative (CASRI) works to support maternal and infant health in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. With support through the Patchwork Collective's Maternal and Infant Health Award, Aga Khan Foundation proposes to scale CASRI to continue breaking the intergenerational cycle of undernutrition in mothers and children in Central Asia.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBeQ3NlfVeY
The Aga Khan Foundation's Central Asia Stunting Reduction Initiative (CASRI) works to support maternal and infant health in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. With support through the Patchwork Collective's Maternal and Infant Health Award, Aga Khan Foundation proposes to scale CASRI to continue breaking the intergenerational cycle of undernutrition in mothers and children in Central Asia.
Schools2030: re-shaping global education
Held in Dar Es Salaam in June 2022, the inaugural Schools2030 Global Forum brought together over 200 delegates from more than 30 countries. They convened under the guiding question - How might we collectively reimagine the role(s) of schools, systems and societies for the future of learning?
We are pleased to share with you this short film capturing the diverse perspectives, voices and learnings from the three days.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsbr9Z_hn4&t=728s
Dreams of our Learners
This video was first screened at the inaugural Schools2030 Global Forum, held in Dar es Salaam in June 2022.
It is composed of the voices and perspectives of students from across the Schools2030 programme, and was intended to remind all delegates why the shared goal of improving education access and quality across the world is so important.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnjd2Vgi_I
Education is the foundation of development. We never stop learning in life, and we never should. An important part of our learning experience is the teachers and schools that equip us for the future. However, teachers and schools often find themselves left out of the key conversations on how to support children and young people to access quality learning. This year’s Schools2030 conference in Dar-es-Salaam aimed to rectify this.
This Summer, the inaugural Schools2030 Global Forum was held in Tanzania, and brought together representatives from the government and the education sector, business and civil society leaders, schools, and community representatives. The forum aimed to change mindsets on education reform and ensure that key stakeholders, namely teachers and schools, are valued as a key part of the conversation.
Schools2030 is a global initiative that began in 2020. It is a ten-year participatory learning improvement programme based in a thousand government schools across ten countries: Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Portugal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Focusing on the transition years of ages five, ten, and fifteen years old, the initiative supports teachers and students to design and implement education micro-innovations, meaning they support schools to create powerful change in small, unique ways.
The global initiative works alongside several partners and is led by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). AKF not only leads programme implementation, but also provides technical expertise and financial resources that support education innovations and improve learning outcomes for marginalised groups all over the world. Among other areas, AKF seeks to improve the quality of life by supporting access to quality education.
The Schools2030 Global Forum was co-hosted by AKF and its partners UNICEF, the Regional Education and Learning Initiative (RELI), and the Government of Tanzania. Over the three days, many facets of education reform were explored, including: giving teachers the right tools to measure what matters in their classroom; promoting holistic skills like creativity, empathy and leadership; how schools can be supported to design practices and strategies that will improve learning outcomes; and how the things that work at school level can be applied at policy level to change practices globally.
Members of the Jamat in Tanzania had a chance to volunteer at the event, and took the opportunity to continue our community’s long tradition of volunteering for the greater good. In the recent past, Ismaili volunteers have supported many public events across the globe, including the Olympics, various marathons and sports events, global welfare conferences, and have offered aid to survivors of natural disasters and more.
We asked some of the Ismaili volunteers in Tanzania about their experiences supporting the Schools2030 Global Forum.
“It felt very interesting to sit at a conference where people value and want to make a difference in the education sector,” said Fatma Bhaloo. “I learned how education can be modified, I learned about how education can be structured in such a way that the students learn as efficiently and as comfortably as possible.”
Volunteer Iliyan Gilani reflected on his time as a ‘unique experience’ to be able to gain the skills he learnt at the conference. “I learned how to critically manage my time and be as attentive as possible in order to fulfil all the tasks given to me,” he said.
Sara Rafiq Gilani described the experience as ‘amazing’ as she volunteered as a marquee usher. “I really loved to work with so many people and learnt so much about teachers and their continuous efforts to make sure students get a conducive and creative environment to learn,” said Sara.
The Schools2030 initiative collaborates with ten national governments, six global technical partners (including in research and design), one thousand schools, fifty-thousand teachers, and five hundred thousand learners.
Education is a fundamental human right. Everyone – every child and every young person should have access to quality education, regardless of where they live. Learning about subjects beyond the four walls of the classroom is also important, to ensure awareness of equality, diversity and pluralism. Schools2030 plays an important role here, since education changes people and people change the world.
More photos at:
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... -education
We are pleased to share with you this short film capturing the diverse perspectives, voices and learnings from the three days.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tsbr9Z_hn4&t=728s
Dreams of our Learners
This video was first screened at the inaugural Schools2030 Global Forum, held in Dar es Salaam in June 2022.
It is composed of the voices and perspectives of students from across the Schools2030 programme, and was intended to remind all delegates why the shared goal of improving education access and quality across the world is so important.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUnjd2Vgi_I
Education is the foundation of development. We never stop learning in life, and we never should. An important part of our learning experience is the teachers and schools that equip us for the future. However, teachers and schools often find themselves left out of the key conversations on how to support children and young people to access quality learning. This year’s Schools2030 conference in Dar-es-Salaam aimed to rectify this.
This Summer, the inaugural Schools2030 Global Forum was held in Tanzania, and brought together representatives from the government and the education sector, business and civil society leaders, schools, and community representatives. The forum aimed to change mindsets on education reform and ensure that key stakeholders, namely teachers and schools, are valued as a key part of the conversation.
Schools2030 is a global initiative that began in 2020. It is a ten-year participatory learning improvement programme based in a thousand government schools across ten countries: Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Portugal, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Focusing on the transition years of ages five, ten, and fifteen years old, the initiative supports teachers and students to design and implement education micro-innovations, meaning they support schools to create powerful change in small, unique ways.
The global initiative works alongside several partners and is led by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). AKF not only leads programme implementation, but also provides technical expertise and financial resources that support education innovations and improve learning outcomes for marginalised groups all over the world. Among other areas, AKF seeks to improve the quality of life by supporting access to quality education.
The Schools2030 Global Forum was co-hosted by AKF and its partners UNICEF, the Regional Education and Learning Initiative (RELI), and the Government of Tanzania. Over the three days, many facets of education reform were explored, including: giving teachers the right tools to measure what matters in their classroom; promoting holistic skills like creativity, empathy and leadership; how schools can be supported to design practices and strategies that will improve learning outcomes; and how the things that work at school level can be applied at policy level to change practices globally.
Members of the Jamat in Tanzania had a chance to volunteer at the event, and took the opportunity to continue our community’s long tradition of volunteering for the greater good. In the recent past, Ismaili volunteers have supported many public events across the globe, including the Olympics, various marathons and sports events, global welfare conferences, and have offered aid to survivors of natural disasters and more.
We asked some of the Ismaili volunteers in Tanzania about their experiences supporting the Schools2030 Global Forum.
“It felt very interesting to sit at a conference where people value and want to make a difference in the education sector,” said Fatma Bhaloo. “I learned how education can be modified, I learned about how education can be structured in such a way that the students learn as efficiently and as comfortably as possible.”
Volunteer Iliyan Gilani reflected on his time as a ‘unique experience’ to be able to gain the skills he learnt at the conference. “I learned how to critically manage my time and be as attentive as possible in order to fulfil all the tasks given to me,” he said.
Sara Rafiq Gilani described the experience as ‘amazing’ as she volunteered as a marquee usher. “I really loved to work with so many people and learnt so much about teachers and their continuous efforts to make sure students get a conducive and creative environment to learn,” said Sara.
The Schools2030 initiative collaborates with ten national governments, six global technical partners (including in research and design), one thousand schools, fifty-thousand teachers, and five hundred thousand learners.
Education is a fundamental human right. Everyone – every child and every young person should have access to quality education, regardless of where they live. Learning about subjects beyond the four walls of the classroom is also important, to ensure awareness of equality, diversity and pluralism. Schools2030 plays an important role here, since education changes people and people change the world.
More photos at:
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... -education
Jamati and AKDN institutions mobilise in response to Pakistan floods
Weeks of extreme rainfall in Pakistan have caused the world’s deadliest flooding for years and have placed the country in a state of emergency. Senator and Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman described the situation as a climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions.
A combination of rising sea surface temperatures and heatwaves over recent weeks have brought heavy rainfall across much of Pakistan, which is located in one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. Communities have experienced severe flooding in Karachi and other parts of the country. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes and more than 1,000 people have died due to the floods since June.
In the North, the heatwaves have also caused glacier melt and river levels are still rising. Though the communities in this mountainous region have long dealt with increased risks to natural hazards, this summer the multiplier effect of a warming climate is particularly alarming. Since June 160 incidents have been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral.
When floods strike, drowning is only one of many threats. The lack of food and shelter, combined with sewage and waterborne diseases, are a significant concern. The destruction of homes, crops, livestock, schools, hospitals and transport infrastructure is set to cause longer-term difficulty. Over 33 million people have been affected – one in eight of Pakistan’s population.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has worked in Pakistan since 1905 and has assisted with disaster response efforts for the past 25 years. Its agencies have mobilised to address urgent food, shelter and health needs.
“The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat is assisting the Pakistani authorities in emergency relief operations,” said Hafiz Sherali, President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan. “The AKDN Helicopter has been deployed to lift and distribute several metric tonnes of food and relief items among stranded families and inaccessible communities in Yarkhun lasht, Power, Shost, Brep and Khuz villages in Chitral.”
The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) has been leading community-based disaster management and response initiatives for the last two decades, establishing early warning and weather monitoring systems, prepositioning emergency stockpiles, training emergency response volunteers, educating communities, and constructing protective walls and other mitigation measures.
At the onset of flooding AKAH rapidly mobilised emergency operation centres in Chitral, Gilgit, Karachi and Islamabad. They have been continuously assessing the situation, providing weather alerts, keeping residents informed and working with the authorities, including the army. The teams have evacuated more than 8,000 people in mountain areas and are providing supplies such as food, medicine and tents, as well as organising safe shelter in schools, community buildings and with host families. They have pumped water out of public buildings and are repairing infrastructure. Read more
“All the early preparation work meant that communities in the northern parts of the country were relatively well prepared for the recent deluge,” said Nusrat Nasab, CEO of AKAH Pakistan. “At the same time, however, such events will likely become more frequent and so we are already working on longer-term climate risk mitigation strategies.”
Habib Bank Limited (HBL) staff have volunteered to distribute ration bags across Balochistan, feeding 10,000 families. The ration bags are able to feed a family of six for at least 25 days. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development has a controlling share in HBL, Pakistan’s first and biggest commercial bank.
The Aga Khan University is also part of the ongoing relief efforts. The University has set up healthcare camps and mobile units in affected areas, and is providing medical support, including medication and other resources, to public facilities.
The frequency and intensity of extreme weather is expected to increase due to climate change. Rehabilitation efforts must not only help communities adapt to these growing risks but also combat future climate change, incorporating greener solutions, climate-resilient livelihood initiatives, and longer-term, risk-informed planning.
Read more about AKDN’s environmental commitment https://d1zah1nkiby91r.cloudfront.net/s ... oved_1.pdf .
Donations to Focus Humanitarian Assistance can help to support this ongoing work, and can make a significant positive difference. Those wishing to make a contribution can donate online or contact the following offices:
In Canada:
FOCUS Canada | Donate online https://www.focusstar.ca/donate-now
In the UK and Europe:
FOCUS Europe | Donate online https://www.focus-europe.org/en/donate/
In the United States:
FOCUS USA | Donate online https://focus-usa.org/give-once/
For other countries, please donate through one of the above offices, or contact AKDN to discuss other international giving options.
More photos at:
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... tan-floods
MOzambique: AKF signs new agreement with the European Union
AKF signs new agreement with the European Union to support social cohesion in northern Mozambique
Working with the Government of Mozambique, AKF is supporting 65 communities accommodating displaced persons across five districts in Cabo Delgado
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the European Commission’s Foreign Policy Instrument have partnered in Mozambique since 2019 to promote social cohesion within rural communities of Cabo Delgado province, as well as to strengthen relationships with local government. A new agreement will expand this partnership to cover additional districts in Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces.
Insecurity has been impacting everyday life in northern Mozambique since 2017. Nearly one million people have fled their homes and relocated to other communities or resettlement sites managed by the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations. In Cabo Delgado – the province most affected – nearly one in three people have been internally displaced and a majority (two thirds of displaced persons) are being hosted and supported by local communities. Whilst the humanitarian and development community has responded greatly to the impacts of the crisis, the situation remains uncertain and unpredictable, as shown by a string of attacks in the southern districts of Cabo Delgado and northern districts of Nampula in recent months.
Through this new partnership, AKF will support 65 communities accommodating displaced persons across five districts in Cabo Delgado (Chiure, Metuge and Montepuez) and Niassa Provinces (Marrupa and Majune). Village Development Organisation’s (VDO) will be at the core of this programme.
AKF works at the community-level to establish, support, and maintain groups known as VDOs in Mozambique | Photo: Lucas Cuervo Moura
AKF has been working with communities to establish and support VDOs in Mozambique since 2006. VDOs are frontline civil society institutions that play an enabling development and governance role at the village level in Mozambique. VDOs are elected community-level bodies whose purpose is to:
Define – in a participatory manner – the development aspirations of their communities and develop concrete plans to achieve these.
Lead and monitor the implementation of internal development initiatives that can be completed with existing community resources.
Serve as the entry point and coordinator for external development initiatives (facilitated by the government, NGO, and private sector) in their communities.
Women’s participation and empowerment within VDOs has greatly improved. They are starting to play a more active role in identifying and solving the needs of their communities.
This VDO protected their local water source using local resources to be more sustainable.
This community, led by their VDO, worked together to clear a road which gave access to other communities and a nearby river.
In Metuge, VDOs pass on practical experience to other communities that want to implement similar development initiatives.
A VDO member leads an induction session for new community members on the design of a physical map of his community.
In Metuge, the VDO built two new classrooms, as children were having to study under trees exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and environmental conditions.
Since the start of the conflict, VDOs have taken lead roles in welcoming and integrating internally displaced persons into community life – many of whom have now been displaced from their homes for more than five years. In response to the conflict, VDOs have:
Identified temporary accommodation for displaced persons arriving into their community, enrolled displaced children into local schools, and allocated land to construct houses and farm on.
Constructed additional school classrooms to increase school capacity and liaised with government to identify teachers also displaced who are ready and willing to work.
Advocated with district and provincial government on the rights, needs and priorities of their community as a whole.
VDO members are received positively by local government. In Metuge district, where VDOs are very active, the District Administrator has invited VDO representatives to join monthly budget and planning meetings in order to solicit community opinions and align activities. He has also become a cheerleader for VDOs at the provincial level, liaising with colleagues on how best to work with communities.
A youth representative of Mieze village presents the VDO plans and current community initiatives to a group of government officials in Metuge, Cabo Delgado | Photo credit: Safira Chirindza
VDOs have also been critical for women and youth empowerment. The conflict has created a culture of distrust and hesitancy towards young people, as many adults suspect youth of being recruited into violent activities.
Through AKF’s previous and related EU-funded programme, communities proposed the formation of youth sub-committees to increase youth voice and representation in decision-making spaces, and to equip youth with governance and advocacy skills. Youth have since shared with the VDOs that they are feeling more heard within their communities, and adult perceptions of youth are starting to change. A recent study in Metuge district shows that, following the establishment of youth sub-committees, 81% of surveyed youth felt valued by their community (compared to 47.9% before the programme began).
At a provincial conference held in May 2022, youth VDO members were also more vocal and confident in sharing their community needs and priorities with government officials. AKF plans to expand support for youth through the new partnership so that the positive progress continues to grow.
The expansion of this programme has also brought new partnerships. AKF will be partnering with local organisation, Associação Progresso which will be trained on the VDO model and be responsible for the roll out into two districts in Niassa province. Progreso will also be joined by The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, whose Secretariat is hosted by Finn Church Aid; their team will focus on the integration of community conflict management and resolution mechanisms into the programme.
Through this and all of AKF’s programmes in Mozambique, we are working to build the resilience of marginalised communities so that they are better equipped to respond to the evolving nature of this conflict. AKF are firmly committed to collaborating with VDOs to facilitate effective, sustainable and locally led development in Mozambique.
Written by Safira Chirindza, Communications Assistant, AKF Mozambique
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
By Aga Khan Foundation
4 April 2023
Working with the Government of Mozambique, AKF is supporting 65 communities accommodating displaced persons across five districts in Cabo Delgado
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the European Commission’s Foreign Policy Instrument have partnered in Mozambique since 2019 to promote social cohesion within rural communities of Cabo Delgado province, as well as to strengthen relationships with local government. A new agreement will expand this partnership to cover additional districts in Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces.
Insecurity has been impacting everyday life in northern Mozambique since 2017. Nearly one million people have fled their homes and relocated to other communities or resettlement sites managed by the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations. In Cabo Delgado – the province most affected – nearly one in three people have been internally displaced and a majority (two thirds of displaced persons) are being hosted and supported by local communities. Whilst the humanitarian and development community has responded greatly to the impacts of the crisis, the situation remains uncertain and unpredictable, as shown by a string of attacks in the southern districts of Cabo Delgado and northern districts of Nampula in recent months.
Through this new partnership, AKF will support 65 communities accommodating displaced persons across five districts in Cabo Delgado (Chiure, Metuge and Montepuez) and Niassa Provinces (Marrupa and Majune). Village Development Organisation’s (VDO) will be at the core of this programme.
AKF works at the community-level to establish, support, and maintain groups known as VDOs in Mozambique | Photo: Lucas Cuervo Moura
AKF has been working with communities to establish and support VDOs in Mozambique since 2006. VDOs are frontline civil society institutions that play an enabling development and governance role at the village level in Mozambique. VDOs are elected community-level bodies whose purpose is to:
Define – in a participatory manner – the development aspirations of their communities and develop concrete plans to achieve these.
Lead and monitor the implementation of internal development initiatives that can be completed with existing community resources.
Serve as the entry point and coordinator for external development initiatives (facilitated by the government, NGO, and private sector) in their communities.
Women’s participation and empowerment within VDOs has greatly improved. They are starting to play a more active role in identifying and solving the needs of their communities.
This VDO protected their local water source using local resources to be more sustainable.
This community, led by their VDO, worked together to clear a road which gave access to other communities and a nearby river.
In Metuge, VDOs pass on practical experience to other communities that want to implement similar development initiatives.
A VDO member leads an induction session for new community members on the design of a physical map of his community.
In Metuge, the VDO built two new classrooms, as children were having to study under trees exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and environmental conditions.
Since the start of the conflict, VDOs have taken lead roles in welcoming and integrating internally displaced persons into community life – many of whom have now been displaced from their homes for more than five years. In response to the conflict, VDOs have:
Identified temporary accommodation for displaced persons arriving into their community, enrolled displaced children into local schools, and allocated land to construct houses and farm on.
Constructed additional school classrooms to increase school capacity and liaised with government to identify teachers also displaced who are ready and willing to work.
Advocated with district and provincial government on the rights, needs and priorities of their community as a whole.
VDO members are received positively by local government. In Metuge district, where VDOs are very active, the District Administrator has invited VDO representatives to join monthly budget and planning meetings in order to solicit community opinions and align activities. He has also become a cheerleader for VDOs at the provincial level, liaising with colleagues on how best to work with communities.
A youth representative of Mieze village presents the VDO plans and current community initiatives to a group of government officials in Metuge, Cabo Delgado | Photo credit: Safira Chirindza
VDOs have also been critical for women and youth empowerment. The conflict has created a culture of distrust and hesitancy towards young people, as many adults suspect youth of being recruited into violent activities.
Through AKF’s previous and related EU-funded programme, communities proposed the formation of youth sub-committees to increase youth voice and representation in decision-making spaces, and to equip youth with governance and advocacy skills. Youth have since shared with the VDOs that they are feeling more heard within their communities, and adult perceptions of youth are starting to change. A recent study in Metuge district shows that, following the establishment of youth sub-committees, 81% of surveyed youth felt valued by their community (compared to 47.9% before the programme began).
At a provincial conference held in May 2022, youth VDO members were also more vocal and confident in sharing their community needs and priorities with government officials. AKF plans to expand support for youth through the new partnership so that the positive progress continues to grow.
The expansion of this programme has also brought new partnerships. AKF will be partnering with local organisation, Associação Progresso which will be trained on the VDO model and be responsible for the roll out into two districts in Niassa province. Progreso will also be joined by The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, whose Secretariat is hosted by Finn Church Aid; their team will focus on the integration of community conflict management and resolution mechanisms into the programme.
Through this and all of AKF’s programmes in Mozambique, we are working to build the resilience of marginalised communities so that they are better equipped to respond to the evolving nature of this conflict. AKF are firmly committed to collaborating with VDOs to facilitate effective, sustainable and locally led development in Mozambique.
Written by Safira Chirindza, Communications Assistant, AKF Mozambique
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
By Aga Khan Foundation
4 April 2023
Aga Khan Foundation starts campaign to plant 1.5 million mangroves
https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/n ... es-4242080
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Aga Khan Foundation starts campaign to plant 1.5 million mangroves
Summary
The AKF Tanzania project coordinator, Mr Japhet Wangwe, said they are collaborating with the government in executing these initiative
Bagamoyo. In response to climate change and its effects on the world, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has started a campaign to restore nature, aimed at planting 1.5 million mangrove trees along the Indian Ocean coast.
The AKF Tanzania project coordinator, Mr Japhet Wangwe, said the organization also aims to start a micro forest project in 50 schools countrywide.
“Our institution is more focused on poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation due to its negative economic effects among citizens,” he said during an event to plant mangrove trees on the coast of Bagamoyo.
Related
Govt prepares plan for mangrove conservation
National May 21
He said AKF is collaborating with the government in executing these initiatives. He added that the Foundation will continue to engage in all other people-centred activities.
“In collaboration with the Tanzania Forestry Agency (TFS), teachers and pupils, inhabitants, and members of the Beach Management Unit (BMU), we have planted 27,000 mangrove trees today,” he said.
“Our focus is to plant more trees in order to realise our goal of planting over 1.5 million trees,” he added.
Mr Ali Chaligha, a forestry officer, said the Bagamoyo mangrove forest reserve is located 100 kilometres from Mapinga at the border of the Coast and Dar es Salaam regions to Saadani National Park, noting that despite illegal tree harvesting mitigation measures, deforestation remains scary
. “Mangrove destruction is reported in the whole 5,636-hectare area. The situation is, however, worse here at Nunge as we heighten stakeholders’ cooperation, enabling us to plant over 150,000 new mangrove trees within a year,” he said.
He noted that the number of planted trees will definitely increase upon receiving AKF support.
The Bagamoyo District environment officer, Ms Neema Mngereza, asserted that protecting the natural environment was everyone’s responsibility.
“Mangroves trees are very important in conserving marine ecology and offsetting carbon emissions, but they are being destroyed for timber, boat manufacturing, and house construction,” she said.
Nunge BMU chairman Mshindo Mzee said mangrove trees can be restored if the government focuses on nature restoration by providing support to social groups that have engaged in reserve protection.
"The government should strengthen patrols and support groups that spend most of their time there. We have no vehicles therefore walking on foot makes it difficult to control criminals;” he said.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Aga Khan Foundation starts campaign to plant 1.5 million mangroves
Summary
The AKF Tanzania project coordinator, Mr Japhet Wangwe, said they are collaborating with the government in executing these initiative
Bagamoyo. In response to climate change and its effects on the world, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has started a campaign to restore nature, aimed at planting 1.5 million mangrove trees along the Indian Ocean coast.
The AKF Tanzania project coordinator, Mr Japhet Wangwe, said the organization also aims to start a micro forest project in 50 schools countrywide.
“Our institution is more focused on poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation due to its negative economic effects among citizens,” he said during an event to plant mangrove trees on the coast of Bagamoyo.
Related
Govt prepares plan for mangrove conservation
National May 21
He said AKF is collaborating with the government in executing these initiatives. He added that the Foundation will continue to engage in all other people-centred activities.
“In collaboration with the Tanzania Forestry Agency (TFS), teachers and pupils, inhabitants, and members of the Beach Management Unit (BMU), we have planted 27,000 mangrove trees today,” he said.
“Our focus is to plant more trees in order to realise our goal of planting over 1.5 million trees,” he added.
Mr Ali Chaligha, a forestry officer, said the Bagamoyo mangrove forest reserve is located 100 kilometres from Mapinga at the border of the Coast and Dar es Salaam regions to Saadani National Park, noting that despite illegal tree harvesting mitigation measures, deforestation remains scary
. “Mangrove destruction is reported in the whole 5,636-hectare area. The situation is, however, worse here at Nunge as we heighten stakeholders’ cooperation, enabling us to plant over 150,000 new mangrove trees within a year,” he said.
He noted that the number of planted trees will definitely increase upon receiving AKF support.
The Bagamoyo District environment officer, Ms Neema Mngereza, asserted that protecting the natural environment was everyone’s responsibility.
“Mangroves trees are very important in conserving marine ecology and offsetting carbon emissions, but they are being destroyed for timber, boat manufacturing, and house construction,” she said.
Nunge BMU chairman Mshindo Mzee said mangrove trees can be restored if the government focuses on nature restoration by providing support to social groups that have engaged in reserve protection.
"The government should strengthen patrols and support groups that spend most of their time there. We have no vehicles therefore walking on foot makes it difficult to control criminals;” he said.