The 2011 theme for PartnershipsInAction--Building Resilient Communities--draws attention to the urgent need to strengthen marginalized and poor communities' resilience to challenging environmental, economic and social changes.

For 50 years, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has worked with communities to develop sustainable solutions to development challenges. Even before "climate resilience" became a common term, the AKDN, working with governments and civil society, was helping communities cope with threats of soil degradation, deforestation, floods, and other challenges posed by climate and geography. For the Aga Khan Foundation, preparing communities to be resilient in the face of climate changes and disasters has always been closely integrated with development. Today, this dual task is ever more urgent. 

Throughout 2011, we will explore success stories to show how building resilience among poor communities is a smart investment. Examples include:

     -Training residents in earthquake-prone zones in disaster preparedness

     -Building new health clinics and schools to withstand the seismic risk

     -Planting microforests that enable farmers to use trees for fuel, food, fodder and future income

     -Constructing hydro-power plants to generate electricity in remote regions

     -Promoting experimental farms to improve food security.

The Aga Khan Foundation's (AKF) Early Childhood Development programs in Kyrgyzstan provide opportunities for active learning and quality education. Implemen ted by the Mountain Societies Development Support Program (MSDSP), these cost-efficient programs have increased access to early childhood education by using satellite kindergartens, reaching children in very remote communities.

Recently, AKF through its partnership the National TV Channel of Kyrgyzstan, produced is a new television program, Adventure to the World of Books. Developed under AKF's Reading for Children Project, the program helps children learn to read using motivating and entertaining techniques. The main character of the television show, Chypalak guides the young audiences and parents on an exciting adventure through different story books, and encourages parents to play a more active role in their child's learning while developing a culture for family reading.

The program started weekly broadcasts on the National TV Channel this past October, and is broadcast to children all over the country. Together, AKF and its local partner, MSDSP, has developed and distributed more than 32, 000 books, established 46 mini-libraries, and trained over 8, 800 parents and care-givers in reading methodologies. AKF has also collaborated closely with the Ministry of Education in Bishkek, establishing more than 102 kindergartens across the country.

Charles Sheerin joined Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A as the new Director of Communications and Resource Development in February 2011.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Charles was acting Vice President of Development at World Wildlife Fund U.S. He worked at The Nature Conservancy both as Director of Philanthropy Services, overseeing state and country programs, and as Development Director for the Eastern New York Chapter. He has also worked at the World Bank on natural resource management issues.

Charles currently sits on the board of the Upper Saranac Lake Foundation in the Adirondacks, an organization focused on watershed conservation. AKF USA welcomes Charles and looks forward to working with him as we head into our 2011 season of PartnershipsInAction events.