Initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network

Aga Khan Agency for Habitat - This energy-efficient stove being used in Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan, is one of 70,000 energy-efficient stoves and living condition improvement products designed by the Building and Construction Programme (BACIP) of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat. These stoves have led to a decrease in deforestation and the risk of mudslides, while reducing respiratory illnesses in women and children by 50%, and reducing their health care costs. BACIP has also designed solar water heaters and cookers, and better insulation techniques to reduce fuel consumption, making homes in these rural regions more comfortable in all weather conditions.

AKDN
The Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, India, opened in 2011, the second of 18 such "Centres of Excellence" that have been planned. The first Academy was opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, and the most recent one opened in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013. This integrated network of schools follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum, and offers several unique features, besides the quality of its facilities and teachers; for example, students and teachers are required to spend time at an Academy in another country, allowing them to gain first-hand experiences of another culture, an important asset in today's world; additionally, admission is based on merit, regardless of socio-economic background, race, religion or culture. Financial assistance is available to ensure that lack of means does not limit access, while also ensuring a diverse student body.

AKDN / Gary Otte
Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance in West Africa - With commercial banks focused primarily on companies, many people do not have access to finance for housing, for a small business, especially in rural areas. For over 60 years, various agencies of the AKDN have offered microfinance credit though its integrated development programmes. Today, these services have been consolidated under the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), which operates in ten countries, and has provided loans US$2 billion to over 365,000 people. Its Premiere Agence de Microfinance (PAMF) Burkina Faso, PAMF Mali, and PAMF Cote d'Ivoire, serve 18,000 clients, primarily in the agricultural sector, of whom 40% are women.

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Aga Khan Education Services, Uganda - Bonita Mulungi, a precocious primary 6 student and renowned young writer at the Aga Khan Primary School in Kampala, shares the books she has authored. The Aga Khan Education Services operate over 200 schools in East Africa, South and Central Asia and the Middle East. The first schools in the network were established in 1905 and today benefit over 80,000 students.

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme, Mozambique - The development of young children has a direct impact on their overall development to adulthood. For over 40 years, globally, the AKDN's ECD initiatives provide 750,000 children with quality early learning opportunities. In 2013, in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, almost 1,100 children were enrolled into primary school at the right age. Prior to AKF's efforts, only 25% of pre-schools functioned daily, delaying the students' primary school enrollment. The Government of Mozambique has selected AKF to introduce the first national ECD plan in Cabo Delgado, as a pilot for later introduction to the rest of the country.

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and the Bujagali Hydropower Project - Economic development, commercial and social activities were hampered by frequent power cuts in Uganda (up to 12 hours a day). Since the opening of Bujagali dam in 2012, these power cuts have been eliminated, as its turbines now generate almost 50% of Uganda's electricity requirements. The US$ 900 million project was developed jointly by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and other partners.

AKDN / Mathias Mugisha
Aga Khan Health Services, Bamyan Hospital - An anxious mother, Zahra, watches over her six-month old son, Ali Sina, who is being treated for pneumonia at the new Bamyan Hospital in Afghanistan. The US$ 22.8 million, state-of-the-art 141 bed hospital was opened in 2017, and places particular emphasis on the health of women and children.

AKDN / Kiana Hayeri
The Aga Khan Museum Toronto, Canada - Opened in 2014 by His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, this is the first museum in North America dedicated to the arts of Muslim civilisations, and contains over 1,000 masterpieces. Its mission is to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contribution that Muslim civilisations have made to world heritage. As an educational institution, it has a 350 seat auditorium and 2 classrooms.

AKDN / Janet Kimber
Al-Azhar Park, Cairo, Egypt - In one of the most congested cities in the world, offering little green space, the 74 acre Al-Azhar Park is a verdant oasis for the city's residents to enjoy. Built by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the $30 million Park was a gift from His Highness the Aga Khan to the city of Cairo, now enjoyed by 2 million visitors annually. The Park's development led to an urban renewal project by AKTC in the adjacent poor and neglected Darb al-Ahmar neighborhood, with initiatives for improvements in housing, education, microfinance, and the restoration of cultural sites.

AKDN / Kareem Ibrahim
Restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti, Mali, southern facade - One of Mali's historic monuments, this mosque (also known as the Mosque of Komoguel), was in danger of collapse, despite an inappropriate restoration effort in 1978. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture worked for two years to replace damaged areas, stabilising the roof and upper structures. It employed local carpenters and masons, who used traditional techniques and materials.

AKDN / Christian Richters
The Aga Khan University manages the French Medical Institute for Children (FMIC) in Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of a partnership of the governments of France, Afghanistan and the French NGO, La Chaine de L'Espoir. Since its opening in 2006, over 800,000 patients have been seen, and FMIC is the first hospital in the country to perform open and closed paediatric heart surgeries. It is also the subject of a new book by Lee Hilling, Chairman of FMIC's governing body, entitled, A Place of Miracles: The Story of a Children's Hospital in Kabul, and the People Whose Lives Have Been Changed by it.

FMIC
The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi - For over fifty years, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH) has been taking care of families in East Africa. As a 280-bed tertiary and teaching private, not-for-profit hospital, it strives to provide access to quality healthcare to all who need it. It opened a Heart and Cancer Centre in 2011, the first of its kind in East Africa, providing high quality care and treatment based on international standards for the full spectrum of heart and cancer conditions. It is the only hospital in East and Central Africa to receive the Joint Commission International accreditation The population of sub-saharan Africa can now access specialised care with confidence, without having to travel abroad for treatment.

AKDN / Zahur Ramji
The Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan - Founded in 1983, the Aga Khan University (AKU) is the leading health care education institution in Pakistan, with a hospital containing 697 beds and recording 750,000 annual patient visits. It was the first hospital in Pakistan to receive the Joint Commission International accreditation (in 2006), and is the main teaching site for AKU's Faculty of Health Sciences, including its Medical College and School of Nursing. Since opening, the Medical College has seen almost 5,400 graduates, and its School of Nursing has graduated close to 3,800 nurses, offering significant improvements in the healthcare of the country's residents.

AKDN / Kohi Marri
The Global Centre for Pluralism, Ottawa, Canada - The Centre’s mission is to serve as a global platform for comparative analysis, education and dialogue about advancing and sustaining pluralism. Inspired by Canada's experience as a multicultural, inclusive and diverse country, it was created to advance positive responses to the challenges faced by diverse communities living together. It was founded in partnership with the Government of Canada, with its headquarters in the renovated former Canadian War Museum. It was opened in 2016 by His Highness the Aga Khan and the Governor General of Canada.

AKDN / Marc Fowler
The University of Central Asia, Naryn campus, Kyrgyzstan - One of three campuses planned for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, the University of Central Asia opened its first campus in Naryn in 2016. UCA 's programmes focus on the needs of mountain societies primarily, and since 2006, it has engaged 74,000 youth and adults in vocational and professional development courses. The Presidents of Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan, signed the International Treaty and Charter establishing this secular and private university. The Presidents are the Patrons of UCA and His Highness the Aga Khan is the Chancellor.

AKDN / Gary Otte
The Ismaili Centre, Burnaby, Canada. Opened in 1985, the Ismaili Centre, Burnaby was the first purpose-built Jamatkhana built by the Ismaili community in Canada. It was a highly symbolic choice of location, since years earlier, it was in Burnaby that the first congregation of Canadian Ismailis established itself. Vancouver architect Bruno Freschi designed the building to meet the religious and social needs of the Ismailis, and as a venue for outreach and dialogue with the wider community.

AKDN / Gary Otte
The Ismaili Centre in Toronto, Canada is situated, together with the Aga Khan Museum, within a 6.8-hectare landscaped park. Together they showcase the work of three renowned architects: the late Indian architect Charles Correa designed the Ismaili Centre, Fumihiko Maki of Japan designed the Aga Khan Museum, and landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic of Lebanon designed the Park. Moriyama and Teshima are the Canadian architects of record. Throughout the year, the Ismaili Centre, Toronto hosts a vibrant range of programmes that stimulate the intellect, encourage dialogue, and celebrate cultural diversity.

AKDN / Shai Gil
The site of the Ismaili Centre, Dubai was a gift of the Ruling Family of Dubai to His Highness the Aga Khan on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of his accession to the Imamat in 1982. The Centre was opened by the Aga Khan during his Golden Jubilee year in 2008 in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, senior members of the ruling families of the United Arab Emirates. Respecting a history of tolerance and openness, Egyptian architects Rami El-Dahan and Soheir Farid sought inspiration from the Fatimid mosques of Cairo. Situated across the road from the Ismaili Centre, is the Dubai Park – a gift from the Aga Khan to the city of Dubai.

AKDN / Gary Otte
Opened in 2009, the Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe in Tajikistan revives in its scale the memory of ancient cities of learning and enlightenment, like Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Inspired by the 10th century mausoleum of the Samanids, Canadian architect Farouk Noormohamed employed articulated brickwork, along with elaborate woodcarving, patterned tile and plasterwork. In glass and wrought iron, in tile and fired brick, in textile and alabaster, in marble and wood inlay, the Centre celebrates human enterprise and ingenuity alongside art and its expressions in thought, word and deed.

AKDN / Gary Otte
The Ismaili Centre, Lisbon, Portugal. Beginning in the 1970s, Portuguese Ismailis created places of gathering for cultural and social purposes, and found space for the establishment of philanthropic organisations that they sponsored. The opening of the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon in 1998 met the growing needs of these institutions and the Ismaili community. Indian architect Raj Rewal and Frederico Valsassina of Lisbon incorporated a blend of tradition and contemporary technology into the design of the Centre, which draws from Christian and Islamic architectural influences.

AKDN / Gary Otte
When it was opened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and His Highness the Aga Khan in 1985, the Ismaili Centre, London became the first high-profile building representing the permanent establishment of the Ismaili community in the Western world. The Centre on Cromwell Road sought to be compatible with its Kensington surroundings, while at the same time meeting the requirements of the Ismaili community and reflecting the mood of Islamic architectural tradition. The architect was Neville Conder of Casson Conder Partnership of London, with traditional elements of the Islamic interior designed by Karl Schlamminger, a German-born Muslim.

AKDN

Initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network

Over the last 60 years, His Highness the Aga Khan has established a number of institutions to serve the Ismaili Community and humanity at large. This gallery provides a selection of images of some of those institutions.

Photographs

AKDN

AKDN / Gary Otte

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura

AKDN / Lucas Cuervo Moura

AKDN / Mathias Mugisha

AKDN / Kiana Hayeri

AKDN / Janet Kimber

AKDN / Kareem Ibrahim

AKDN / Christian Richters

FMIC

AKDN / Zahur Ramji

AKDN / Kohi Marri

AKDN / Marc Fowler

AKDN / Gary Otte

AKDN / Gary Otte

AKDN / Shai Gil

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