In sync with the release of our Annual Report, we are launching our June blog series, “Rooted in Resilience: From Crisis to Opportunity.” The series celebrates the resilience and ingenuity of the communities where we work. You can download our 2013 annual report here.
The stories demonstrate the impact our work has on communities that confront the incredible obstacles of poverty and fragility, and move beyond crisis to greater opportunity. In remote places, ending poverty means offering some assistance to strengthen resilience while catalyzing assets and energies already present.
We at Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. have witnessed the resilience of even the poorest communities. For example, in the wake of crises in Mali and Afghanistan, community partners do not despair, and act to build skills and strategies for their future development.
In Central Asia, where after the fall of the Soviet Union, social and economic systems failed, people are pooling resources to create solutions to scarcity and inadequacy of services. In the Kyrgyz Republic, we help to support new civil society organizations that lay the groundwork for more participatory citizenry and a shift from government dependence.
In addition to these stories of resilience, the blog series highlights how public-private partnerships facilitate innovation and impact. The generosity of our dedicated donors – both institutions and individuals – enables us to provide assistance in ways that strengthen resilience, so that communities may pursue their priorities and improve their lives. We work to create environments where enterprises can thrive and people can pursue opportunities, from food security to social entrepreneurship. For example, in our From Crisis to Opportunity series, you will learn about how farm families tested an innovative system to conserve seed in Mozambique and how schools and communities embraced a new program for stimulating young minds and local cultures in Tajikistan.
Together, these stories tell a larger tale of how our Aga Khan Development Network views community-based development. We salute the strengths of our community partners on that path, from coping with emergencies to creating a better quality of life. We thank our donor partners for the chance to be part of that journey.
Rooted in Resilience: From Crisis to Opportunity