Our Stories

Part of a seismically unstable zone that is prone to earthquakes, floods, landslides and droughts, Pakistan's northern region has long been home to a signifiant Ismaili population. Several new purpose-built jamatkhana projects blend traditional building with new disaster-resistant techniques. From design and construction to finished product, the new structures offer a model to uplifit the quality of habitat throughout the region.

Lifelong educator Roshan Hemani has been hard at work on the site of the new campus of the Aga Khan University in Arusha. But instead of moulding young minds she is re-forming the landscape – Hemani and a team of gardeners are on a mission to plant 150 000 trees in the area. And the plant nursery she has established may become a vital source in sustaining Tanzania’s ecology for years to come.

Service to humanity is at once an ethic deeply rooted in the Islamic tradition, as well as a fundamental expression of American civic values. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the September 11th tragedy in partnership with their fellow Americans, Ismaili Muslims across the United States will volunteer in a wide range of service activities in their local communities.

In this first installment of a two-part story, broadcast journalist Faridoun Hemani describes his experience as part of a team that visited areas stricken by the 2010 Pakistan floods to document the impact of the AKDN Early Relief and Recovery Programme. The team travelled to Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, where they listened to local people recount life-changing stories.

When Salim Mohamed started his Time and Knowledge Nazrana assignment with AKDN project and construction management company PCM, the civil engineer brought decades of experience to the East African construction projects he was tasked with overseeing. He in turn gained valuable experience working in an African setting, and an understanding of what it’s like to work for an AKDN institution.