What We Do

Nearly half of the world’s population — more than 3.5 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 700 million people live in extreme poverty (less than USD $1.90 a day), the majority of whom are in Africa and Asia.

Aga Khan Foundation Canada tackles the root causes of this poverty through a holistic and interconnected set of programs. These initiatives address people’s most pressing needs and enable them to unlock their full potential, with a particular focus on marginalized groups like women and girls.

Our programs aim to ensure access to high-quality education and health care, ensure food security, improve economic well-being, and develop resilient communities and societies. We bring together human, financial, and technical resources to some of the poorest and most marginalized communities, with an emphasis on women and girls, investing in human potential, expanding opportunity, and improving quality of life.

A desktop and a dream: How one woman in Pakistan is helping to close the digital divide

Digital technology has transformed the ways we live and work, providing new pathways for social and economic opportunity. But in

Flood Recovery and Climate Resilience in Pakistan (RENEW)

Duration: 2025-2027 Location: Pakistan Reach: 681,940 people (464,550 F, 217,390 M) Budget: $16.5 million CAD (Global Affairs Canada: $15 million; AKFC: $1.5 million) Description 

Afghanistan Crisis – Health and Psychosocial Support (ACHPSS)

Duration: 2025-2026 Location: Afghanistan (Kabul, Parwan, Daikundi, and Samangan provinces) Reach: 135,205 (71,857 F, 63,348 M) Description The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is

STRIDES for SRHR through Resilient Health Systems (STRIDES)

Duration: 2025-2032 Location: Kenya (Kilifi), Mozambique (Cabo Delgado) Reach: 457,996, including women ages 20-49 and adolescent girls ages 10-19 Budget: $25 million CAD ($22.5

A young woman crosses her arms and smiles at the camera.

A cut above: Meet Areej

Areej is a 24-year-old woman who has struggled to find a job. Like many young people in Syria, she’s felt

Ripples of change: Women’s Change Groups in Mozambique

Gender inequality, often rooted in unequal sociocultural norms, is a daily challenge in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado.  To

Dispatch from the Fellows: Empowering adolescent girls through menstrual cups

Sarah Abbott was placed in Kampala, Uganda, as part of AKFC’s International Youth Fellowship program. Never did I predict that

Local action, global impact

Rasul, a member of AKFC’s Youth Advisory Committee, shares why he is stepping forward to help fight global poverty. When

Moving Forward in a Divisive World: Reflections from the Global Leadership Program

Shezan Muhammedi is an Acting Assistant Director for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. He was a member of the 2024