For farmers in the Kyrgyz Republic, keeping livestock is a vital source of income. Over the last 20 years, the cattle population in the country has increased by 60 percent, and whilst this has improved the socioeconomic standing of farmers…
When worldwide school closures threatened the education and development of East Africa’s young children, the Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP – an affiliate of the Aga Khan Foundation in East Africa) worked with communities in Kenya and Tanzania to react…
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…
In August 2020, Kiswa Primary School – one of the largest government-aided schools in Uganda’s capital – joined the Schools2030 programme to begin their Human-Centred Design (HCD) journey, led by a team of six teachers. They wanted to identify some…
AKF’s long-term work with civil society has been key to creating trust in its communities and supporting crucial development work. When the pandemic arrived in Uganda, it was vital that marginalised communities were reached with prevention strategies and ongoing support…
Abdallah Salim lives with his wife Mariam, and 4-year-old son, Salim, in the remote village of Mbuta, which is near Mombasa on the coast of Kenya. Salim goes to Kadiria community pre-school, which has been supported by the Aga Khan…
When staff at Arua Islamic Nursery School in Uganda first embarked on their Human-Centred Design (HCD) journey with Schools2030, they were unsure where to concentrate their initial efforts. As a design process that puts users first, HCD’s guiding principles required…
Women around the world are struggling with the additional pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic – from the demands of home-schooling, to feeding families on reduced incomes, or even an increase in gender-based violence in some of the worst cases. Many…
Pokhut is a small village located in Tajikistan’s Zarafshon valley. Many residents are farmers who grow potatoes, fodder and breed cattle for income and subsistence. A lack of arable land has left them with few options to diversify their incomes…
Despite the challenges that have kept girls from accessing a quality education, Afghanistan’s recent progress in this area is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of so many. More and more, young girls and women are improving their prospects and taking an active role in their communities, thanks to a…