Building for the Future
Video: Ismailia Helping Society, India
7 March 2020
On the occasion of International Women's Day, we celebrate the work of the Ismailia Helping Society (IHS) in India. Established in 1936, under the guidance of Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, IHS was established to promote the economic advancement of women in the Jamat. Over 80 years later, IHS continues to empower women who leverage their traditional skills in art, crafts, and beadwork to create lifestyle products.
Holistic economic planning in Afghanistan
27 February 2020
Improving quality of life requires a multifaceted-approach, of which economic empowerment represents an important piece. If an individual or community is empowered economically this can result in having access to better education, health, safety, an enabling environment, and desired working and living conditions.
Sweet success: The story of India’s United Bakers Alliance
27 February 2020
For nearly two decades, the United Bakers Co-operative Society Limited has been aggregating the interests and aspirations of local Jamati bakeries in Hyderabad. From centralised procurement to training and development, the alliance’s story illustrates that bonds of trust and collaboration can catalyse economic development. We take a look at the recipe behind their sweet story of success.
Global Encounters Expedition: Into the heart of India
17 February 2020
In December 2019, Global Encounters (GE) Expedition brought together young Ismailis from 13 countries to the rural areas of Southern Saurashtra in Gujarat to engage with the local Jamat and study the work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The impact of Expedition on its participants is well known, but the impact that Expedition has on the Jamat in Southern Saurashtra is equally profound.
Skills for the future: Part one
16 February 2020
The World Economic Forum predicts that millions of jobs will be lost in the coming years as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, and other socio-economic factors replace the need for human workers. How can we begin to prepare for a future that will no doubt be more mobile, autonomous, and machine-driven than today?
Finding a balance between empowerment and wealth
16 February 2020
Often, we think of balance as a scale: having equal weights on either side. In reality, balance may not be what it seems. Instead, it can be thought of as a pendulum. It’s about finding what’s right for you. There isn’t a one size fits all, especially when it comes to wealth.
Ismaili Girl Guides engage with sustainable development goals
12 February 2020
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 are envisioned to make the world a better place by 2030. In order to better understand the goals and their potential, the Ismaili Girl Guides in Pakistan attended a four-day summit at the Guides’ Association headquarters in Islamabad.
Girls landing: Reaching for the moon
10 February 2020
“Never limit yourself because of others’ limited imagination; never limit others because of your own limited imagination,” said Mae Jemison, an American engineer, physician, and the first African American woman to travel into space. She orbited the earth in 1992, making history as the first female person of color to journey into space about 30 years after the first man, Yuri Gagarin.
Dubai girls team wins award for innovative solution at robotics competition
10 February 2020
In an effort to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through access to and participation in science, the United Nations recognises 11 February as International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Young girls from the Dubai Jamat have displayed that women and girls can thrive in the field of science by winning an award for their innovative solution at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition.
Being healthy children – inside and out
6 February 2020
On the occasion of Children’s Mental Health Week, the Aga Khan Health Board (UK) explores the importance of supporting young people to pay attention to their emotional wellbeing, and shares some advice for children on being healthy, inside and out. We encourage you to read this article with the children in your life.
Parwaaz ECD programme in Afghanistan supports the right start to life
28 January 2020
Scientific research has shown that 90 percent of brain growth happens before a child begins school. During this time, the foundation is laid for health and wellbeing throughout life. As such, investing in the early years of a child’s life is one of the smartest investments a parent or community can make. The Parwaaz Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme in Afghanistan aims to ensure that every child has the right start to life.
Video: Early Childhood Development in India
23 January 2020
The early years of life are critical for the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive formation of every young child. On the occasion of the UN’s International Day of Education, we learn about the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)’s work in Early Childhood Development (ECD) in India. By supporting government ECD centres, AKF facilitates a safe, healthy, and joyful environment where children can learn.
