PartnershipsInAction Newsletter: March 2009

Welcome to Empowered, our monthly newsletter brought to you by PartnershipsInAction, an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. (AKF USA).

New Publications From PartnershipsInAction
"By participating in events like the Walk, you are expressing your conviction that positive change is possible through grassroots participation, ” said U.S Congressman Brad Sherman at the Los Angeles Partnership Walk. Over 31,000 across America joined together in 2008 to prove just that, raising over $4 million through PartnershipsInAction initiatives to end global poverty. View the 2008 Highlights Newsletter.

With help from funds raised at PartnershipsInAction events, AKF USA expanded access to quality education for girls in Afghanistan and trained farmers in Mali on farming and marketing techniques with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life for over 260,000 people, among many other development projects. View the 2008 AKF/AKDN Highlights Report.

A Fond Farewell to Our Professional Development Intern
It will take Aisulu Masylkanova over 18 hours of travel to return to her hometown of Talas, Kyrgyzstan from Washington, DC, but despite the distance, the 24-year-old plans to keep her internship at AKF USA close to heart. Her fondest memory was working for 24 consecutive hours on grant proposals for environment and child survival projects and watching the Programs team come together with their different skills and expertise to get the job done. During her stay, she also attended the 2008 Partnership Walk in Los Angeles

Afghanis Find Hope Through Eco-Tourism Possibilities
Despite increasing violence in Afghanistan, people of the central Bamiyan province still have reason for hope. With government leaders and non-governmental organizations committed to continuing development projects despite insecurity in other regions, the province has just kicked off an eco-tourism initiative to promote sustainable livelihoods. This initiative, implemented by AKF in partnership with the local government, will emphasize capacity-building and support projects in local handicraft production and construction of travel accommodations.

faces of change
Improving Basic Education in Tajikistan Helps Students to Master Skills in a Shorter Time
Tajikistan

With her 3rd grade class unable to master multiplication despite repeated instructions, Firuza Safoeva, a teacher in the Sagriddasht region of Tajikistan, was at a loss. Through Aga Khan Foundation’s Improving Basic Education in Tajikistan (IBET) program, she and her fellow teachers were exposed to new teaching methodologies and teaching aids, such as flash cards. As a result of improvements made to Firuza’s lesson planning, her students “managed to learn the multiplication in one week as opposed to my three months of intensive work with them.”
Read more about IBET | More faces of change stories

project briefs
Aga Khan Foundation's Innovative Development Solutions

Tajikistan

Aga Khan Foundation’s long-term commitment to Tajikistan goes back to 1993 when the Foundation first provided emergency services to address acute food shortages during the Civil War. The Foundation continues its work through a variety of initiatives, including the Whole School Improvement Program (WSIP). Activities of the program include mentoring, introducing innovative teaching methodology, establishing Learning Resource Centers and organizing Parent Committees. In 2006 alone, 105 schools, 1,000 teachers and 15,000 students benefited from this program.
Read more about AKF in Tajikistan | More project briefs