Aga Khan Development Network

On 11 and 12 May, Kenya and France co-hosted the #AfricaForward Summit in Nairobi. Co-chaired by President William Ruto and President Emmanuel Macron, the Summit brought together heads of state, business leaders, innovators and civil society to build partnerships for innovation and growth across the continent. For more than a century, AKDN has worked with governments and communities in Africa to strengthen institutions, build economic capacity and improve the quality of life. In Kenya, where AKDN’s engagement spans over 100 years, the Network reaches more than 27 million people with over 14,000 staff working across health, education, economic development and environmental stewardship. Since the signing of a Partnership Convention in 2008, France – mainly through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Proparco, its private sector financing arm – and AKDN have collaborated on more than 60 projects across 20 countries, with French funding exceeding $584 million and joint investment surpassing $1 billion. In health, AFD has provided more than $120 million in financing to AKDN in the region, supporting the expansion of the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam, the upgrading of hospitals in Mombasa and Kisumu and the establishment of the Heart and Cancer Centre in Nairobi. In 2025, AKDN, AFD and the Gates Foundation launched the East Africa Comprehensive Cancer Project, a $12 million initiative to combat women’s cancers in Tanzania and Kenya expected to benefit approximately 7.4 million people. Beyond health, the partnership extends across education, financial services, tourism and agriculture. On 10 May, AKDN hosted a reception with the Paris Peace Forum and the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs at the Aga Khan University campus in Nairobi. On 12 May, AFD, AKF, France and the Ismaili Imamat signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the sustainable management of marine and coastal ecosystems and regenerative agriculture in Tanzania. As the Africa Forward Summit convened under the theme “Partnerships for Innovation and Growth”, the AKDN-France collaboration showed what sustained, values-driven partnership can achieve. @AFD_France @Proparco @AKF_Global @gatesfoundation the.akdn/en/resources-m…

🏔️ Researchers at the University of Central Asia (UCA) have mapped snow avalanche risks across High Mountain Asia, producing data to help mountain communities, planners and emergency responders better understand exposure to avalanches. The study found that nearly 20 percent of buildings in High Mountain Asia are in areas at risk from avalanches, while up to 22 percent of the road network may be blocked annually by avalanche deposits, temporarily disconnecting villages from food, energy, medical supplies and communication infrastructure. “This open-access dataset is particularly useful for communities and emergency stakeholders who live and work in remote, landlocked valleys of High Mountain Asia, which suffer every year from avalanche risks with fatalities, damages, or road disconnections.” – Arnaud Caiserman, Senior Research Fellow at UCA Graduate School of Development's Mountain Societies Research Institute 🎥 Watch the animation or discover more here: the.akdn/en/resources-m…

Researchers, policymakers, and development leaders gathered at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon to showcase joint scientific projects funded under the Aga Khan Development Network and Portugal’s Foundation for Science and Technology, highlighting a decade-long partnership focused on advancing knowledge and improving quality of life, particularly in underserved communities. Launched through collaboration between the Ismaili Imamat and the Government of Portugal, the initiative has supported research across Portugal, Portuguese-speaking African countries, and beyond, engaging more than 150 institutions across 35 countries. Spanning health, education, climate, energy, and sustainable development, these efforts have led to nearly 200 publications, over 50 advanced degrees, and extensive professional training. As an AKDN agency, Aga Khan University continues to advance this vision by contributing deep expertise and global research capacity, with a strong focus on addressing pressing challenges in low- and middle-income countries. More: aku.edu/news/Pages/New…

We were honoured to welcome H.E. Dr Ana Paula, Minister of Health of the Portuguese Republic, to the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Nairobi today. Received by AKU President and Vice Chancellor Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin and AKDN Diplomatic Representative, East Africa Ambassador Amin Mawji, the Minister engaged in high-level discussions focused on the growing synergy between Portugal and AKU. Following a tour of the University Centre and the Aga Khan University Hospital, Dr Paula remarked that AKU’s work is “inspiring,” noting significant potential for collaboration in stem cell and cancer research. The Portuguese delegation included H.E. Paulo Neves Pocinho, Ambassador Designate of Portugal to Kenya and Mr Francisco Pessanha de Meneses, Deputy Head of Mission to Kenya. They were joined by senior leadership from AKU, including Provost Dr Tania Bubela and Regional Director, University Advancement Mr Arif Neky. The visit underscored the deepening partnership between Portugal and the Aga Khan Development Network, rooted in the landmark 2015 agreement that established the Seat of the Ismaili Imamat in Lisbon. #AKUPartnerships

AKDN and the Syrian government sign an MoU to deepen cooperation in health, education, culture and economic development, with over €100 million committed. 🔗 Read more here: the.akdn/en/resources-m… #Syria #Development #Education #Health #Culture #EconomicDevelopment

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has signed a new partnership agreement with Portugal's Camões Institute to help restore mangrove forests and support coastal communities in Kenya. The partnership will support the Gazi Bay Coastal Restoration and Eco-Tourism Initiative (G-CORE) in Kwale County, part of AKF’s wider Indian Ocean ReGeneration Initiative. Through G-CORE, the partnership will help plant around 65,000 mangrove seedlings across six hectares, contributing to AKF’s wider work with the Kenya Forest Service to restore 226 hectares of mangrove forest in Gazi Bay. The initiative will also train community members in conservation, improve eco-tourism infrastructure such as the Gazi Boardwalk, and strengthen local enterprises, with a particular focus on women and youth. Through this community-led approach, AKF Kenya and its partners are combining ecological restoration with economic opportunity. @AKF_Global #Kenya #ClimateResilience #MangroveRestoration #CoastalCommunities

In Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, communities are facing growing needs as conflict, displacement and climate shocks continue – while aid cuts reduce the support available to local organisations trying to respond. As Abdul Tavares, who works for a democracy and rights-focused organisation, says, “I feel like our feet are being cut off.” Yet local people are still finding ways to respond. In Pemba, ASMOG collects plastic waste, much of it from beaches. In 25 de Junho village, farmers gave land through the Village Development Organisation to families displaced by conflict. Since 2000, the Aga Khan Foundation has helped more than 100 communities across Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa establish their own Village Development Organisations. @AKF_Global 🔗 Read the full story here: the.akdn/en/resources-m…

When dramatic cuts to bilateral development aid were first announced in early 2025, Gunjan Veda of the Movement for Community-led Development said her WhatsApp “was just blowing up” with messages from members asking if it was true, what it meant for family members reliant on antiretrovirals, and what would happen to village health centres. The most heartbreaking calls, Veda says, came from the people running these initiatives locally. The community did not know why the work had stopped. They saw a health centre close, medicines still inside but no longer being distributed, and they were angry with the people who had run it. The dissolution of trust between community members and the doctors, nurses, and teachers who oversaw donor-funded initiatives reflects a broader, critical issue: that entire countries’ health systems are dependent on the increasingly fragile architecture of international aid. “So frequently, traditional ways of doing development have robbed communities of their agency.” – Matthew Reeves Community-led development places collective decision-making, implementation, resource management, financial oversight, and adaptation with communities themselves. In Jadoua’h, Syria, a village committee, with an initial small grant from AKF, mobilised 450 families to contribute volunteer time, cash and in-kind resources towards building a community hall. In 2024 alone, communities working with AKF raised $12.4 million locally through contributions of time, funds and materials. The development sector must acknowledge that communities in the majority world have always been – and must be recognised as – the primary drivers in their own development. @AKF_Global 👉 Read the full story here:the.akdn/en/resources-m… #CommunityLedDevelopment #CivilSociety #Localisation #Development

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Syria’s Ministry of Energy to strengthen cooperation on water and sanitation. Across several regions of Syria, with a focus on Salamieh and surrounding communities in Hama, the partnership will help rehabilitate and modernise water infrastructure – including transmission lines, pumping stations and storage tanks – while integrating renewable energy to ensure more reliable, sustainable services. Since early 2025, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Syria has collaborated with government agencies on several vital water projects. These initiatives have already expanded safe water access for hundreds of thousands of people, reducing reliance on unsafe sources and easing pressure on household budgets. As part of a broader commitment, the Ismaili Imamat and AKDN have pledged €100 million over two years for Syria’s development, supporting education, child development and community resilience. #Syria #WaterSecurity #Hama #Salamieh #Partnership #CommunityResilience

From 25–31 March 2026, His Highness the Aga Khan made an official visit to Canada at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney. Over the course of the week, His Highness met with Prime Minister Carney and Governor General Mary Simon, and addressed senators and members of Parliament at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat. In Montreal, he met with the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec and Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. In Toronto, he met with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Parliamentary Secretary Taleeb Noormohamed, Rob Oliphant, and Senator Farah Mohamed. His Highness also marked two milestones in the community's commitment to building social infrastructure for Canadians. In Laval, he broke ground on the new Laval Jamatkhana alongside the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance, and Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of Laval. In Toronto, he inaugurated Generations Toronto with the Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board, Premier Doug Ford, and Mayor Olivia Chow. This short film revisits key moments from the visit.

The number of countries with poor health coverage fell from 55 in 2000 to eight in 2023. Yet for patients like Joseph and Fatima, that progress has meant moving from no care to poor care. This World Health Day, watch the short video to learn about their experience. Then read the article on how Dr Gijs Walraven, AKDN's Director for Health, suggests we close the gap between coverage on paper and care in practice. 🔗 the.akdn/en/resources-m… #WorldHealthDay #QualityOfCare #HealthEquity #Pakistan #Africa

His Highness the Aga Khan has concluded his first official visit to Canada, marking a new chapter in a partnership between Canada, the Ismaili Imamat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that spans more than 50 years and reflects a shared commitment to pluralism, inclusion and human development. The visit began in Ottawa, where His Highness and Prime Minister Carney released a joint declaration outlining new partnerships in affordable housing, economic development, principled diplomacy and other areas of mutual interest. In Quebec, His Highness presided over the groundbreaking of a new Jamatkhana in Laval, alongside Canada’s Minister of Finance and Mayor of Laval. The ceremony marked an important moment for the Ismaili community in the Greater Montreal area, while also reflecting the broader partnership between Canada and the Imamat. In Ontario, His Highness inaugurated Generations Toronto, an affordable housing and long-term care facility designed to support community-centred aging within an intergenerational framework. Developed in partnership with the Government of Ontario, the project is guided by values of human dignity and compassion, addressing the health consequences of social isolation for seniors while providing affordable housing. During the inauguration, Mayor Olivia Chow presented His Highness with the Key to the City of Toronto. The honour recognised his vision and commitment to improving quality of life in Canada and around the world, through institutions and initiatives spanning health care, education, culture, habitat and financial inclusion. His Highness’s visit celebrated Canadian projects that reflect shared values and foster inclusive communities, while reaffirming the enduring partnership between Canada, the Imamat and AKDN to improve quality of life globally and in Canada. Photo: AKDN / Akbar Hakim

Yesterday, His Highness the Aga Khan began his first official visit to Canada, marking a milestone in a relationship between the Imamat and Canada that spans more than five decades. His Highness met with Prime Minister Mark Carney and was hosted at dinner by Governor General Mary Simon and His Excellency Whit Fraser. His Highness also met today with Senators and Members of Parliament at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat. Prime Minister Carney and His Highness released a joint declaration outlining new partnerships in housing, economic development and other areas of mutual interest, setting the stage for renewed collaboration. During substantive discussions with Prime Minister Carney, three priority areas were advanced. First, affordable housing. Prime Minister Carney welcomed investments by the Ismaili Imamat in multi-generational not-for-profit housing projects across Canada. Through Build Canada Homes, the Government of Canada will also forge a long-term partnership with the Ismaili Imamat to develop low- and middle-income housing projects. Second, development collaboration. The leaders announced the creation of an Economic Partnership Platform to strengthen development financing. FinDev Canada and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development will pool public and private capital to invest in infrastructure, renewable energy and agriculture across Africa and Asia. Prime Minister Carney and His Highness also committed to ongoing joint development programming in economic opportunity, health, education and pluralism, including in critical regions such as Syria. Opportunities were identified in skills development, energy, and leveraging Canadian innovations and technology in sectors such as agriculture and climate. Third, principled global diplomacy. Recognising the urgent need for quiet, principled diplomacy to save lives, end conflict, and preserve human dignity, the Imamat and Canada renewed their commitment to work together towards these goals. His Highness underscored the importance of new forms of partnership and reaffirmed the readiness of the Imamat, AKDN, and the Canadian Ismaili community and its institutions to serve as reliable partners. Photos: AKDN / Akbar Hakim

Canada is home to more than 120,000 Ismailis — a community that helps shape our country for the better every day.    I met with His Highness the Aga Khan in Ottawa to talk about how we can work together on our shared priorities here in Canada and around the world.

As rain falls in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, Muanema Timam plants mangrove seedlings to help protect her village from future storms. In December 2024, cyclone Chido destroyed her home. Across this coastal province – one of Mozambique’s poorest and most vulnerable – communities are facing stronger storms, heavier rainfall and repeated flooding, on top of displacement and the effects of conflict. When Chido struck Mecufi district, around 14,000 homes were destroyed. In a region already under pressure, each cyclone can force families to start over again. The government and its partners are racing to help communities adapt. Early warning systems now use radio alerts, colour-coded flags and community volunteers to help people prepare before disaster hits. Along the coast, community-led mangrove restoration supported by the Aga Khan Foundation is helping protect villages from strong winds, while also storing carbon and supporting livelihoods such as fishing and beekeeping. Stronger shelters, safer health centres and more resilient infrastructure are making a difference. But as climate risks grow and resources are stretched, much more is needed. For communities living with recurring climate shocks, resilience starts long before the storm arrives. Originally published by The Telegraph (UK), by Harry Johnstone. 🔗 Read more: the.akdn/en/resources-m…

With international cooperation in freefall, the question of what makes partnerships last has rarely felt more urgent. For Canada, one answer points in a clear direction: that the "variable geometry" Prime Minister Mark Carney championed at Davos earlier this year – different coalitions for different challenges, built on common values and interests – is key to navigating today’s fragmenting world. Over four decades, this approach has taken shape through Canada’s longstanding cooperation with the Ismaili Imamat, the Aga Khan Development Network and Aga Khan Foundation Canada. Beginning with a 1981 collaboration to establish the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery in Pakistan, the partnership has supported more than 200 initiatives across Africa and Asia. This work has helped strengthen health and education systems, advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, and support community leadership and innovation. It also includes contributing to the construction of a new facility at Bamyan Hospital in Afghanistan, as well as support for the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme in East Africa. Today, the partnership spans 15 countries, has reached over five million people – more than half of them women and girls – and represents over CAD $1 billion in combined investments. The relationship has also found expression on Canadian soil – in the Aga Khan Museum and Park in Toronto, the Aga Khan Garden at the University of Alberta and the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa. Canadians themselves are active partners through initiatives such as the World Partnership Walk and the International Youth Fellowship. In a fragmented world, this partnership shows that the most resilient alliances are those where shared values and sustained action remain aligned, from the policy table all the way to the communities they exist to serve. @AKFCanada @AKF_Global 🔗 Read more: the.akdn/en/resources-m… #Partnerships #Canada #Pluralism #GenderEquality #Education #HealthSystems