Father’s Day
This Father’s Day, we reflect on the importance of our dads everywhere. Fathers, think about the difference you are making in the lives of your children.
Aga Khan Foundation has been implementing successful education reform programs in poor areas of Africa and Asia for decades. In Tajikistan, one four-year program trained 2,000 parents, teachers and school management officials while improving school infrastructure and self-reliance. A component of this multifaceted project was the use of parents as a resource to improve education.
Parents are an essential part of a child’s learning process. Children absorb the most information from birth to the age of 3, making time spent at home critical, especially in impoverished regions. Parents are involved in a child’s learning in two major ways: the learning environment they provide inside the home and the support they give to their local school. In Tajikistan, AKF trained parents how to create a positive learning environment at home, covering topics from health and hygiene to how to engage kids in active learning. The program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, also trained Parent Committees in Tajikistan to encourage community support for local schools. Parent Committees partnered with AKF and provided 10% of the program funding by pulling monetary resources together, teaming up with other village organizations, and donating labor and materials for school repairs. To our dedicated Fathers, you are not only making a profound difference in the lives of your children. As partners with AKF, you are making a difference in the lives of children around the world. |
Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Every three years, the highly esteemed Aga Khan Award for Architecture is given to an outstanding architectural venture that is both creative in design and relevant to the community in which it is built. On May 25, the 2010 finalists were announced. One finalist includes a Women’s Centre in West Africa, which is energy efficient and will provide health care, education and training to its surrounding community. This finalist as well as the 18 others will undergo detailed technical reviews before final winners are announced in October of this year. |
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Greener Agriculture in Egypt
Egypt’s farmland is confined to the banks of the Nile River – a small area to support the 80 million people living in the country. In Egypt’s Aswan Governate, Aga Khan Development Network is helping farmers manage water and other natural resources more efficiently – lowering costs, increasing incomes for poor communities, and benefiting the environment. The program will initially promote environmentally sound agriculture by encouraging the use of compost and efficient irrigation practices. Later, the program will train farmers in crop rotation (to improve the soil), marketing techniques and other skills vital to successfully growing and selling crops. Youth and women will also receive entrepreneurship training as part of the program. With backyard gardens, women are maintaining a healthy diet and making money from home while youth are getting the skills necessary to one day begin a business.
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