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.

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.

Dispatch from the field: Why are you here today?

Nadia Mithani was placed at Aga Khan Foundation (India) by the International Youth Fellowship program in 2017, where she helped manage the Menstrual

Looking past the crisis: Khalil Z. Shariff on choosing resilience

“Just as crisis is a fact of human history, so of course is resilience, the ability of human communities to

In A Heartbeat: Breaking Barriers

“When I was pregnant, I used to work full time, even until the ninth month… My husband encouraged me. My