In the area of strengthening voice and representation,Aga Khan Foundation works to improve good governance for community institutions, representative bodies and local government, as well as to support the development of an enabling environment for civil society to play a vital role in shaping the future of Afghanistan. This work focuses on improving the capacity of women, youth and the ultra-poor to participate in governance
processes and institutions. To do this,it focuses on both thedemand and supply side of governance through innovations and tools such as social audits and downward accountability exercises, single- stop service centres, and Citizen Report Cards that enable individuals to demand quality public service from the relevant level of government.To promote downward accountability between government and citizens, AKF supports district governor’s offices in facilitating Public Audits.For the first time in Afghanistan, public services can be assessed through the Citizen Report Card.It also ensures downward accountability, bottom-up planning and more effective implementation of services. The CRC was launched in 2015
by AKF with support from Norway; and in 2016, 2,462 CRCs were conducted in 27 clinical hospitals across five provinces.
Food security and nutrition are fundamental development needs, an inadequate nutritional intake harms physical and mental growth, which reduces the ability to learn,work and participate in public life. Despite of investments in enhancing agricultural and livestock productivity over the past 18 years, many parts of Afghanistan remain food insecure,with a food supply that is insufficient , fluctuates on seasonal basis and is vulnerable to drought. Afghanistan continues to have one of the highest stunting prevalence rates in the world among children under five.AKF works with subsistence farmers and vulnerable persons in rural areas to improve the availability of food by enhancing food production through dryland farming
techniques and increasing offseason production; promoting domestic food diversification through kitchen gardens, simple greenhouses and backyard poultry farms; and, providing and supporting livestock services. To ensure improvements in the availability of food also translates into improved
nutritional status, AKF works through a good approach that encompasses health promotion to improve knowledge,attitudes and practices with respect to food. This work includes disseminating information at the community level on nutrition,water, sanitation and hygiene.
Afghanistan is a highly risk-prone country due to its geographical, ecological and socio-economic volatility. Resulting households experience frequent shocks throughout the year. Working in some of the most remote areas of Afghanistan, AKF supports local communities to increase
their resilience. Through this work, AKF supports local institutions and communities to rehabilitate and conserve natural resources; develop systems to equitably distribute benefits and manage conflicts related to common property resources; implement protection measures to strengthen community and household safety nets; and, scale up access to cleaner electricity. Through these efforts, communities are better able to respond to and mitigate the impact of natural and economic shocks.
Aga Khan Foundation works with many institutional partners across the world, as well as in close collaboration with the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan.The team is doing a recommendable work in Afghanistan . The whole Afghanistan is getting benefitted with the works of Aga Khan Foundation be it about strengthening voice and representation ,improving food security and nutrition ,improving resiliency of communities,
diversifying incomes and livelihoods, increasing access to quality health care, increasing access to quality education and building quality infrastructure.The foundation has worked best in every sector.The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) began working in Afghanistan in 1996 when it started distributing food aid during the country’s civil war. The Network’s integrated approach combines economic, social and cultural inputs. Its economic projects span over 240 cities and towns in the country’s 34 provinces. Its social development and humanitarian work is focused in many districts in eight provinces, impacting over 4 million people. Its cultural programmes, which operate in Kabul, Herat, Balkh and Badakhshan, have restored over 150 historic sites.
Beyond its own agencies, the Aga Khan Development Network works to strengthen broader systems of Afghan institutions. For example, the Aga Khan Foundation’s (AKF) governance work is coordinated closely with the Afghan Ministry of Rural Reconstruction and Development and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance to ensure an approach that is consistent with government priorities. In education, the Aga Khan Foundation coordinates with the Afghan Ministry of Education and works to build the skill levels of Ministry staff at provincial and district levels.AKDN’s approach is based on the belief that comprehensive area development, led by Afghan institutions, built on partnerships between government, business and civil society, is the surest way to secure Afghanistan’s transition to stability and prosperity. In order to achieve area development, all partners must make long-term commitments, and coordinated investments must respond to the priorities set by local communities and their elected representatives.
Aga Khan Foundation works to expand access for the poor to financial services.It has established the First MicroFinance Bank, the leading microfinance institution in Afghanistan with a portfolio of over $60 million, including financing for agriculture, housing improvement and enterprise.
Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) aims to diminish obstacles to educational access, quality and achievement.In Afghanistan it provides teacher training and support; Early Childhood Development
programmes; primary education; and coaching for university entrance examinations. It seeks to provide sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty,hunger, illiteracy, and ill health. It also works with rural communities in mountainous, remote or resource poor areas to improve the quality of life in the areas of natural resource management, market
development, governance, education and health.
Aga Khan Foundation’s work has broadly been divided into six thematic focus areas:
• Strengthening Voice and Representation
• Improving Food Security and Nutrition
• Diversifying Incomes and Livelihoods
• Improving Resiliency of Communities
• Improving Access to Affordable Quality Health Care
• Increasing Access to Quality Education
