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2009 Theme: EDUCATION THE UNIVERSAL BRIDGE
sharing knowledge, reaching dreams

Over half the world’s people live on less than $2 per day.

Over 775 million adults – one in five – in the world are illiterate. 64% are women.

One of the biggest obstacles for achieving the Millennium Development Goal for improved health and well being is the scarcity of qualified nurses.

Education serves as a bridge to help individuals and communities build more productive, fulfilling and dignified lives. Aga Khan Foundation’s educational activities span across a broad range of initiatives to help people in Asia and Africa reach their full potential from early childhood development to primary and secondary school improvement to skills and management training for professionals, entrepreneurs and community members. Health related activities include training nurses and educating communities about disease prevention and healthy behaviors. Rural development programs teach farmers effective techniques to help them move beyond subsistence. All these efforts equip people with life-long skills to overcome poverty and expand opportunities. “I love the metaphor of the bridge, because it speaks to two distinct things. One is a symbol, an ideal. The second is a concrete reality. We need the symbol of the bridge to feel just how powerful it is for us to be able to get from where we are to where we’re going.”
Dr. Eboo Patel’s address

Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network(AKDN), a group of private, non-denominational, international development agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world. AKDN contributes to expanding quality education on many levels and provides solutions that address some of the most persistent problems facing Africa and Asia. Visit www.akdn.org for more information.

Early Childhood Development (ECD). AKF has been a pioneer in promoting ECD for decades. With its child-centered approach and culturally appropriate curricula, AKF’s model East Africa preschool program has grown to over 200 preschools, training 6,000 teachers and 3,000 school management committee members and reaching over 60,000 children.

Training Nurses. Nurses form the front line of rural healthcare, often serving as the first and only point of contact for health services in developing countries. AKDN has established training programs in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria and throughout East Africa to improve skills and qualifications as well as expand the pool of qualified nurses.

School Improvement & Teacher Training. AKDN operates more than 300 schools and programs that provide quality pre-school, primary, and secondary education services to students in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, the Kyrgyz Republic, Uganda, Tanzania, and Tajikistan. Professional Development Centers provide world-class training to boost a growing cadre of competent, inspiring teachers.

Building Skills and Knowledge among Rural Populations. In most areas where the Foundation works, agricultural production is the primary economic activity for a majority of the people. The Foundation trains farmers in improved agricultural techniques to expand yields and productivity, which in turn, improve food security and incomes.

Excellence in Education: Academies and Universities. Aga Khan-sponsored academies and universities such as the Aga Khan Academies, the University of Central Asia, and the Aga Khan University create new educational models, with a vision to promote competent indigenous young leaders as a key to progress in the developing world.

Community Outreach in the US. Across America, AKF USA volunteers reach out through grassroots initiatives that educate communities about the positive role they can play in solving global poverty. AKF USA’s educational initiatives seek to inform, inspire and unite Americans as “global citizens” with communities in Africa and Asia to build bridges of hope and to promote peace, pluralism, prosperity and security globally.