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.

Building better and greener: How one volunteer is helping the AKDN reach its net-zero carbon target

Volunteer Ashak Nathwani is using his expertise in sustainable design and engineering to help the AKDN build a more sustainable world.

From the first class: Meet Najmiya

Meet Najmiya, who graduated from the School of Arts and Sciences this year at the University of Central Asia.

The first class: Making history at the University of Central Asia

As we celebrate the class of 2021, we caught up with Shabana Manji, UCA’s Senior Manager of Student Affairs.

From the first class: Meet Muybalikhon

Meet Muybalikhon, who graduated from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences this year from the University of Central Asia.

From the first class: Meet Murodali

Murodali graduated as part of the class of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Central Asia.

From the first class: Meet Jyldyz

Jyldyz graduated as part of the class of 2021 from the School of Communications and Media Studies at the University of Central Asia.

The Adolescent Girls’ Education in Crisis Initiative (AGENCI) 

AGENCI is a project to empower adolescent girls and female youth pursuing an education in crisis-affected areas.

Foundations for Health and Empowerment (F4HE)

F4HE aims to improve the health and well-being and enhance equitable development and empowerment of women and girls.

COVID-19 Innovation and Research Project (CIRP)

The CIRP is a two-year applied research initiative to identify existing gaps in preparedness and response of health systems.