We work in more than a dozen countries in Africa and Asia, promoting innovative, sustainable solutions to critical development challenges. Countries do not exist in isolation from the complexities of their region, and many communities straddle porous borders. For this reason, we take a regional approach to program design, connecting sustainable improvements to quality of life to the development of the region as a whole.
I began my formal education with expulsion from preschool.
I redeemed myself by succeeding in primary school, phew. While primary school graduation is essentially a universal achievement in Canada, some Bangladeshi children face many barriers to reaching even this level of education.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
