Aga Khan Development Network

The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of development agencies dedicated to improving living conditions and opportunities in the areas where it operates.

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

“When you live in an urban area like Dar, junk food is cheaper than groceries.”

Adult obesity has more than tripled since the 1990s in Tanzania, driven by urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles and a shift from whole foods to cheap processed products. Treating the resulting diabetes, strokes and heart disease strains household budgets, and the combined health and productivity losses could cost the economy $1.26 billion a year by 2030.

Said Shukuru, 31, weighed 150 kg with a blood pressure of 190/100. Last year, he underwent a mini gastric bypass operation in April at the Aga Khan Specialised Polyclinic in Masaki, Dar es Salaam. His weight has since halved.

But clinics alone cannot turn this around. Tanzania is considering a sugar tax, while experts point to tighter marketing restrictions on unhealthy foods, clearer labelling and better urban infrastructure for walking and cycling.

Read the full story: https://t.co/K2nXwdp91I

Photos: AKDN/Asia Mbwana

#Tanzania #PublicHealth #Obesity #HealthPolicy

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V was received today at Belém Palace by the President of the Portuguese Republic, António José Seguro.

The meeting was an opportunity to exchange views on the strong relationship between the Ismaili Imamat and Portugal, and on the main partnership projects under way.

His Highness and the President reaffirmed the importance and strength of the relationship between the Ismaili Imamat, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Portuguese Republic, which is founded on ongoing collaboration and a shared set of values.

Before his meeting with the President, His Highness also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, at the Necessidades Palace. They exchanged views on the Ismaili Imamat’s relationship with Portugal and with Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as on the current international situation.

The Ismaili Imamat has its Seat in Portugal under the Agreement signed with the Portuguese Republic on 3 June 2015 and subsequently approved by the Assembly of the Republic.

The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national institution, established in accordance with the applicable customary international law, representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and the Chair of AKDN.

For more than four decades, the relationship between the Ismaili Imamat and the Portuguese Republic has reflected a shared commitment to pluralism, inclusion and a global vision of human development. AKDN has also been active in Portugal for several decades, with the Aga Khan Foundation beginning its work in the country in 1983.

Photos: Miguel Figueiredo Lopes / Presidency of the Republic, AKDN / Luís Filipe Catarino

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

👇 Learn how a daycare centre brings teachers and parents together to nurture young children in Gilgit-Baltistan, supported by Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan.

@ApProsperity

Read more here: https://t.co/VNGJJsRBJg

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

In collaboration with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Aga Khan Music Programme brings Canvas of Sound to Asia+ Festival for its East Asian premiere.

Live calligraphy and improvised music meet as visual artist Tazeen Qayyum joins Aga Khan Master Musicians Feras Charestan and Basel Rajoub. Drawing on Urdu, Arabic and Persian calligraphy and the musical traditions of the Middle East, the artists respond to one another in real time, creating a new artwork at every performance.

Join us on 23 and 24 October, 8pm, at Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, Hong Kong.

Read more: https://t.co/hJsvfJeco0

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

From 14–18 September, Kenyan public officials came together at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi for a leadership and public governance programme delivered through the partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Bringing together perspectives from Singapore and Kenya, the programme created space for participants and trainers to share experiences, explore new approaches and reflect on the opportunities and challenges of leading in the public sector.

Here we look back at a week of conversations, connections and shared learning.

@MFAsg @AKUGlobal

#SingaporeCooperationProgramme #SCP #SCPFriends #AKDN #AgaKhanUniversity #PublicGovernance #Leadership #Kenya #Singapore #KnowledgeExchange

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

🤝 AKF is delighted to partner with @EU_Partnerships and @AFD_France to strengthen climate resilience across Gilgit-Baltistan, northern #Pakistan.

In collaboration with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the €54.2 million initiative will:
💧 Support access to clean water and sanitation
♻️ Invest in renewable energy
🧱 Construct climate-resilient housing and infrastructure
📈 Support sustainable enterprise development

Expected to support more than 325,000 people – with at least 40% women – the programme combines investment in essential services with community-led approaches to strengthen resilience to climate shocks in one of the world's most environmentally fragile regions.

Swipe to learn more 👉

🔗 Read the full story: https://t.co/YPsYGsafPW

#AKF #ClimateResilience #CleanEnergy #MountainCommunities

[Aga Khan Schools @AgaKhanSchools_]

“What if your contribution to solving climate change doesn’t begin with climate change?”

During our AKS Climate and Environment Conference, Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan asked 150+ students from seven countries this question and shared how climate change is a collective effort.

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

🤝 AKF is proud to partner with the @EUinAfghanistan on a new €13.5m initiative to support displaced persons (IDPs), strengthen resilience and create economic opportunity across #Afghanistan.

Over the next three years, the programme aims to reach more than 83,000 people directly, and a further 582,000 indirectly, through three key areas of inclusive development:

🌱 Climate resilience and agriculture
📈 Economic growth and employment
💪 Community resilience and sustainable reintegration

Operating across 10 provinces, the programme will emphasise support for youth, women, vulnerable host communities, returnees and IDPs, helping to strengthen social cohesion.

This collaboration reflects AKF and the EU's shared commitment to supporting vulnerable communities across Afghanistan and creating pathways towards a more resilient and prosperous future.

🔗 Read the full story here: https://t.co/cvs49xeAzt

#AKF #IDPs #SustainableDevelopment

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, His Highness the Aga Khan held talks with the President of Kenya, His Excellency William Ruto; the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif; the US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack; and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher.

The meetings provided an opportunity to continue dialogue with key partners on the work of the Ismaili Imamat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), and to discuss areas of shared interest across the regions in which they serve.

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

🌱 Discover ReGeneration.

Yesterday, we launched #ReGeneration and shared the stories of coastal communities already leading change across the Indian Ocean.

But what is ReGeneration, and why does it matter?

Working across Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, India and Pakistan, ReGeneration connects environmental restoration with economic opportunity, supporting communities to build resilience while protecting the ecosystems they depend on.

It builds on decades of AKF partnership and more than 100 years of AKDN presence in the region, bringing together communities, governments and partners around a shared vision for people and nature.

Read the full story linked below.

🔗 https://t.co/RZY6Wo5STL

#ReGeneration #ClimateResilience #IndianOcean

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

🤝 AKF is proud to announce a $20m pledge to @GPforEducation to help strengthen quality teaching and learning across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Through GPE's Multiplier mechanism, every dollar committed can help go even further for learners and teachers.

🔗 Learn more: https://t.co/BQLBVQuzlj

#MultiplyPossibility #Education #Schools2030

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

🌊 Introducing: ReGeneration.

For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a lifeline for the people that live along its shores. Today, they are united by the threat it poses.

The Indian Ocean is warming rapidly and as climate change accelerates, pressure on nature grows. When nature suffers, so do the people who rely on it.

In response, we are proud to launch ReGeneration, AKF's 10-year initiative to protect and restore 150,000 hectares of coastal habitat, strengthen sustainable livelihoods and expand access to clean water and energy for millions of people.

Working across six countries, and with a coalition of partners, ReGeneration is building a future in which people and the coasts they depend on thrive together – now, and for generations to come.

To mark its launch, we're excited to share a new film that brings this vision to life through the stories of those leading change across the Indian Ocean region.

🎬 Watch the full film here: https://t.co/wSWnYbI1k6

If the film resonates, please share it with your networks.

Thank you to Open Planet Studios for helping us bring these stories to life.

#ReGeneration #IndianOcean #ClimateResilience

[Aga Khan Foundation @AKF_Global]

The Indian Ocean is the fastest warming sea on the planet.

Across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, its coastal communities are facing a shared crisis.

Climate change, environmental degradation and economic pressures are placing unprecedented strain on livelihoods and the ecosystems that sustain them.

Adaptation has never been more urgent.

🌊 Tune in on 23 September to learn more about ReGeneration, AKF's 10-year initiative supporting people and nature to thrive together across the Indian Ocean.

#ReGeneration #IndianOcean #ClimateResilience

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

This week in Nairobi, AKDN and the Singapore Cooperation Programme brought together senior Kenyan public servants for five days at Aga Khan University (@AKUGlobal) to focus on strategic leadership and public governance.

The programme drew on Singapore's long experience in public administration alongside expertise from Kenya and across AKDN. Sessions covered public-sector transformation, economic development, crisis communication, human resource management, future-ready leadership, and mental wellbeing in leadership.

Participants shared their own experience of what has and hasn't worked in Kenya and looked at which parts of Singapore's approach could be adapted here.

One idea ran through the week: leadership is judged by the difference it makes to people's lives.

Our thanks to the participants, the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@MFAsg) and to the Singapore Cooperation Programme for a valuable week of exchange.

#SCP #SCPFriends #AgaKhanUniversity #Kenya #PublicLeadership #Governance

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

We are delighted to share that The Earthshot Prize has just revealed its 15 Finalists for 2026. Inspirational leaders from around the world are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet.

From AI-driven wildfire detection and revolutionary heat resilience to historic food waste reduction and vast landscape protection, The Earthshot Prize 2026 Finalists represent exceptional climate leadership.

AKDN is proud to be a Global Alliance Founding Partner of The Earthshot Prize.

👇 Learn more

[The Earthshot Prize @EarthshotPrize]

Meet our 2026 Earthshot Prize Finalists.

These are the inspiring people and organisations that will build a better future for our planet.

Learn more: https://t.co/TDsKsdk29s

[Aga Khan Development Network @akdn]

Architects, designers, engineers, academics and members of the wider community gathered at the @acm_sg in Singapore on 15 September for Beyond Buildings: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, an evening exploring how architecture can strengthen communities, respond to climate change and shape the places in which people live, work and belong.

https://t.co/0KhoWGDVeE