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.

Dispatch from the field: The rights and responsibilities of microfinance in Tajikistan

The Smart Campaign is a global effort spearheaded by the Center for Financial Inclusion, dedicated to “uniting microfinance leaders around a common goal: to keep clients as the driving force of the industry” – by following principles designed to help microfinance institutions practise good ethics and smart business.

Dispatch from the field: The complexities of reporting in Kenya

It was a straightforward story of exploitation. The people of the fragile Tana Delta, still recovering from tribal violence that claimed over 100 lives in September, were facing an assault on their treasured land by big business – in this case, a Canadian corporation planning a massive biofuel plantation in the region.

Dispatch from the field: From the field to market in Mozambique

When most of your workdays are spent in front of a computer, it’s easy to forget where the food on your plate comes from. I marvel at the mountains of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market arranged like rainbows, but I overlook the time, dedication, and energy of harvesting crops from the field, especially in an environment that dictates what and how much you will eat.

IN PHOTOS: Behind the scenes at Bamyan Hospital

Earlier this month, Deborah Lyons, Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Nurjehan Mawani, Diplomatic Representative of His Highness the Aga Khan to Afghanistan, met with Governor Tahir Zohair and local officials in the province of Bamyan in Northern Afghanistan.

Matters of the Heart: Tackling a cardiovascular crisis in East Africa

East Africa is facing a growing threat: By 2030, cardiovascular diseases are expected to surpass infectious diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS as a leading cause of death in the region.

World Health Day: 4.5 million reasons to celebrate

Four years ago, Laya Hoor took a walk through the village of Ghulmet, on the banks of the Hunza River. The craggy peaks of northern Pakistan’s mountain ranges rose around her on all sides, so high that they skimmed the clouds drifting by.

Two girls, 12,000 kilometres apart

On February 22 of this year, I woke up like every other day. I had a coffee, took a shower, and ate breakfast. Except that day I drove five hours to a small rural town in Tanzania called Kilwa to see how Canadians are improving the quality of education for children in East Africa.

These keys unlock five things you take for granted

These are the keys to a lockbox where 12 members of a savings group in Mozambique are investing their earnings. With the return on their investments, they have been able to make basic improvements to their homes, like a freezer, an oven, a table and chairs, bowls and plates, and a roof that doesn’t leak.

Quality education for a bright future

We all have a favourite teacher from when we went to school. They inspired in us a sense of boundless wonder, and motivated us to reach new heights.