Aga Khan Foundation

08/06/2026

🌊 Today, on , meet Laxmiben – a mangrove conservationist from Gujarat, .

Together with women from her community, Laxmiben is working to protect and restore mangrove forests by planting seedlings in degraded areas.

Almost one-third of India’s coastline is lined with mangroves, home to 37 of the world’s 64 mangrove species. With the country’s second‑largest mangrove cover, Gujarat is a critical region for investing in mangrove conservation.

At AKF, we are supporting the communities that depend on these coastlines for their livelihoods to lead these efforts. Women like Laxmiben are at the forefront of this work – she has even gained a new nickname in her community as ‘mangrove planter and protector’.

This work is supported by the AGA KHAN RURAL SUPPORT PROGRAM (INDIA) and forms part of AKF’s wider ReGeneration initiative, which aims to help coastal communities live in harmony with their changing environment.

📍 Location: Gujarat, India
📸 Photographer: Christopher Wilton-Steer

05/06/2026

🌿 Happy World Environment Day!

Protecting our planet is a shared responsibility, and building a sustainable future starts with knowledge. As we face evolving environmental challenges, understanding how to adapt, mitigate risks and build resilience is more critical than ever.

🔗 Today, you can start with the Climate Challenge: Be Part of the Solution course, on AKF's Learning Hub: https://akflearninghub.org/courses/climate-resilience/climate-change-be-part-of-the-solution/

Also on The Learning Hub, explore our how-to videos about microforestry, water management, regenerative farming, and many other topics that are helping build a more climate-resilient world.

🧠 The Learning Hub is AKF's free online learning platform, offering resources that combine local knowledge with global best practices, developed by practitioners for practitioners.

05/06/2026

Learn about our approach to climate resilience in Tajikistan this 💚

05/06/2026

🌎 Today, on , meet Bhikhubhai.

Bhikhubhai is a farmer from Gujarat, , who, as well as rearing cattle, has recently switched to regenerative farming practices to grow his crops. Now, he produces his own organic fertilisers and pesticides using animal waste and plants grown around his farm.

These methods help restore soil health, reduce input costs, improve farmers’ health by eliminating chemical inputs, increase productivity, support biodiversity and raise incomes.

These efforts are supported by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in India and form part of AKF’s wider ReGeneration initiative, which aims to help coastal communities live in harmony with their changing environment.

📍 Location: Gujarat, India
📸 Photographer: Christopher Wilton-Steer

03/06/2026

🪶 In rural , pigeon towers are supporting sustainable livelihoods for farming families.

With AKF's support, the residents of six villages in Salamieh have constructed a set of pigeon towers – traditional yet innovative structures designed with climate resilience in mind. The towers utilise clay and local materials to ensure natural insulation and low environmental impact.

The towers provide a dual benefit: a sustainable source of high-quality protein for household meals, as well as improved incomes through the sale of birds and organic fertiliser made from pigeon manure, which is highly valued for local crops.

📍 Salamieh, Syria
📸 Ali Shaheen

02/06/2026

🌍 Last week, AKF was delighted to participate in , a global convening bringing together the UN governments, civil society and donors to strengthen joint approaches and practical pathways to accelerate nutrition progress in an evolving global context.

Representing AKF, Carolyn O’Donnell, Global Lead for Nutrition, and Georgina Maynard, Senior Partnerships Manager, joined partners to advance discussions on the critical links between nutrition, climate resilience and agrifood systems.

Carolyn spoke on a panel titled “Unlocking Climate Finance: Better Diets and Reduced Food Loss & Waste”, where she highlighted how the Aga Khan Development Network intentionally integrates nutrition outcomes into climate and biodiversity investments. This included insights from AKF’s work in regenerative agriculture, livelihoods and climate resilience – and examples such as the Regeneration initiative, which demonstrates how ecosystem restoration can strengthen food security and dietary diversity along the Indian Ocean coast.

On the panel, Carolyn was joined by representatives of governments around the world and organisations including UN Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Environment Facility.

As global challenges intensify, deeper collaboration across sectors will be essential to shaping agrifood systems that are both climate‑smart and nutrition‑positive.

📸 FAO / Alessandra Benedetti

01/06/2026

💪 Earlier this month, Naina – a young woman from Bahraich, northern India – received the Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award.

Naina’s journey from studying by lamplight in her village to standing on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London to receive her award has resonated with many, but this moment is just one part of a much wider story.

In this article, you can learn more about Naina, her path to empowerment and her commitment to supporting other girls to access the opportunities she once fought for herself.

🔗 Read Naina's story: https://akf.org/article/this-recognition-reminds-me-that-change-is-possible-naina-receives-the-amal-clooney-womens-empowerment-award/

King's Trust International

Naina is a participant of AKF and King’s Trust International’s Project Lehar which supports girls and young women in India to learn, earn and thrive

30/05/2026

📸 Want to know what we've been up to this month?

In the May edition of our Month in Pictures, catch a glimpse of our work around the world and how we're building a future where we all thrive together.

This month:
🛠️ Bringing safe and clean water to Salamieh City in Syria
🌾 Adopting regenerative farming practices in India
🏆 A special visit to London for the King’s Trust Awards

🔗 Explore here: https://akf.org/article/the-month-in-pictures-may-4/

📸 Ali Shaheen
📍Salamieh, Syria

29/05/2026

🌿 Planting drought-tolerant seedlings in 's pasturelands.

Through AKF-supported community collectives, known as Common Interest Groups (CIGs), the seedlings are distributed to farmers to better withstand drought and salinity in the soil, and cultivated into fodder crops for livestock.

This initiative is part of AKF’s efforts to strengthen livestock management and, as a result, build climate and economic resilience in rural Syria.

🤝 In partnership with EU International Partnerships.

📍 Salamieh, Syria
📸 Ali Shaheen

28/05/2026

🇲🇬 More than 70% of people in face food insecurity – and we believe the solution lies in strengthening the communities that shape how food is grown, shared and consumed.

With AKF’s support, Community-Based Savings Groups (CBSGs) are proving to be a powerful catalyst for change in addressing food and nutrition challenges at the community level.

By combining savings, peer learning, agricultural training and practical cooking demonstrations, these groups are helping families adopt healthier practices that last.

The impact is clear: more diverse meals, stronger resilience and healthier children.

🔗 Read the story: https://akf.org/article/the-missing-link-in-madagascars-nutrition-may-be-community-not-food/

In Madagascar, AKF delivers programmes through its local branch, Organisation de Soutien pour le Développement Rural à Madagascar (OSDRM).