A Year of Extraordinary Service
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2020 A YEAR OF EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL 4 AFGHANISTAN 8 AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND elcome to The Ismaili Magazine 2020: A Year of Extraordinary Service. This digital 16 BANGLADESH magazine provides a whistle-stop tour acrossW continents, highlighting the various programmes, 18 CANADA initiatives, and events organised by AKDN and Jamati institutions around the world over the past 12 months. 20 FAR EAST The year 2020 has been a difficult one for many people, in many ways. Our history tells us that the Ismaili engage with one another via The Ismaili’s digital offerings, 24 FRANCE community has overcome numerous challenges over the and even celebrate our major festivals collectively as One course of time. This year’s global crisis, while grim and Jamat, together at home. 28 INDIA gloomy at times, presented an opportunity for us to come The Ismaili CIVIC initiative also came into its own together and face the challenge with a sense of hope and this year, enabling the Jamat to make significant — and 33 IRAN resolve as One Jamat. much needed — contributions to local communities, The coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic by neighbourhoods, and vulnerable individuals, exemplifying 34 KENYA the World Health Organization on 11 March. In light of the long-standing ethic of service present in the Ismaili this, and under the guidance of Mawlana Hazar Imam, the community. Members of the Jamat made masks, taught 38 MADAGASCAR Imamat and Jamati institutions, and individual volunteers classes, delivered groceries, made phone calls, and much raced into action, to serve the Jamat and the communities more. 40 MOZAMBIQUE in which they live in a rapidly developing new reality. The In every region where the Jamat lives, volunteers urgent focus was on areas of health, education, social extended help and support to those who required it, both PAKISTAN welfare, and economic support, alongside offering virtual within the community and beyond. Their stories are 42 programming in lieu of in-person gatherings. detailed in this magazine. They illustrate the resilience of PORTUGAL While the pandemic spread, we began to witness an the human spirit, and the capacity to hope in times of 46 exponential increase in information — on television, difficulty. SYRIA and online — some reliable and some useful, but much We bring you stories about volunteers caring for 50 untrue, and some even harmful. Global, regional, and cancer patients in Syria, arranging emergency student TAJIKISTAN local Jamati communications teams were tasked with loans in Iran, serving seniors in Australia, addressing faith 52 sifting through the vast amounts of data, and sharing formation in the USA, and even launching a ‘Biryani TANZANIA only that which was beneficial, timely, and accurate. Task Force’ in France. There are also cutting-edge health 56 As part of this effort, a dedicated group of volunteers initiatives in Pakistan, a nationally recognised water UGANDA contributed to a vast expansion of The Ismaili digital distribution drive in India, innovative remote learning 60 platform. The familiar website and social media channels practices in Tanzania, and a very different Ismaili CIVIC UNITED ARAB EMIRATES began publishing more content to help keep the Jamat day in Canada. 62 well-informed, well-connected, and well-looked after, In collaboration with various international agencies, UNITED KINGDOM inspiring positivity and optimism in uncertain times. AKDN institutions have treated Covid patients, tested 64 In April, the global communications team launched suspected cases, and advised national authorities on their UNITED STATES OF AMERICA an online TV channel in order to fill the void in many responses and preparedness. Committees have also been 66 people’s daily lives, caused by the temporary closure of set up to evaluate vaccines and therapeutics. schools, stores, workplaces, and Jamatkhanas. Named This was a year full of firsts, in which routines and 'The Ismaili TV', the channel has supported the Jamat to plans were turned upside down. In spite of this, our enrich their minds and bodies, and strengthen our sense community’s impulse to serve, to reach out and support of belonging and camaraderie. in a time of need remained as strong as ever. As we enter This was soon followed by a smartphone app, a a new year, this gives us the reassurance, the confidence, podcast, and a growing collection of new music releases and belief that we can cope with the challenges and entitled The Ismaili Sounds, in which members of the opportunities that 2021 may bring. Jamat submitted their own music tracks to be shared We hope you enjoy reading this special edition globally. At a time when in-person gatherings became magazine, and we wish all members of the global Jamat a impossible, our community was still able to connect and very happy new year. 2 | THE ISMAILI MAGAZINE THE ISMAILI MAGAZINE | 3 Schools are closed but students in the AKF Accelerated Learning Programme are staying on track with their lessons. AFGHANISTAN Photo: AKDN / Kiana Hayeri LEARNING MUST GO ON PROTECTING GIRLS' EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN or many Afghan girls, accessing quality education In response to the pandemic, AKF staff, community leaders is already wrought with challenges – a situation and teachers put in place a series of measures and interventions complicated further since the pandemic. With the to keep the community safe and raise awareness of the health closureF of schools, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) found out risks and guidelines for avoiding infection. Health and hygiene how girls in one community are continuing to learn against the materials including masks, gloves and soap were distributed to odds. students, teachers and school committees. The latter two were Abbas Dara* is a relatively large village for the Andarab also provided with guidelines on how to distribute these materials district in Baghlan Province. Around 300 families live there and to students. most rely on agriculture for income. With the nearest school a One of the ALP teachers at the forefront of sharing this long distance away, most people are illiterate. Due to concerns information, Miss Gulnoor Din, has also been supporting for their safety when travelling to school, as well as economic students to continue their education at home and engage with and cultural constraints, girls struggle to gain an education. their parents, elders and older siblings to support them with their To provide opportunities for girls, AKF, with funding from daily lessons. Miss Din is in the process of developing home-study UKAID, established an Accelerated Learning Programme lesson plans for the students including regular monitoring and (ALP) in 2019 for the 30 out-of-school adolescent girls in support over the phone, and in-person for emergency situations. Abbas Dara. Classes are designed to fast-track learning so that Remote support for both the teachers and the students is also girls who have been unable to study in the past can undertake being provided through AKF field staff. future education or apply for skills training programmes. ALP Adapting to these new and unfamiliar circumstances has is part of the broader STAGES (Steps Towards Afghan Girls’ been very difficult for many in this community. But thanks to Education Success) II project – funded by the UK’s Foreign, the inspirational work of teachers like Miss Din, AKF’s efforts Commonwealth & Development Office and implemented to support girls to keep learning during this crisis has been made by a consortium of partners led by the Foundation – which possible. Not only have the home lessons provided a sense of works with mullahs, school management committee members continuity for the girls, but they have also ensured that students, and teachers to slowly change attitudes and gain community families and teachers alike know that their well-being will not be support for girls attending secondary education. neglected during these trying times. After successfully completing the first grade, the ALP students *All names of people and places have been changed to protect were on course to start the second grade. Unfortunately, due to the identity of those involved. the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education announced This text was adapted from a story published on the AKF Shugnan district, Afghanistan in March that all schools were to close. USA website. Photo: AKAH / Andrew Tkach 4 | THE ISMAILI MAGAZINE THE ISMAILI MAGAZINE | 5 SHARING REFLECTIONS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC hen the Covid-19 crisis hit Central crowds in public spaces. We decided to halt public Asia, the Ismaili Council for ceremonies like weddings, Eid, and Navroz, and COMBATTING THE TWIN Afghanistan launched a rigorous everyone prayed at home as Jamatkhana was awarenessW campaign for the Jamat. Given that closed for more than six months. We also began DANGERS OF THE PANDEMIC AND much of Afghanistan’s Jamat live in remote areas to quarantine travellers coming from foreign and many lack access to technology, providing countries for two weeks.” them with important information on the Covid- A large number of Jamati members in INFODEMIC 19 virus was crucial. Members of the Afghan Jamat Afghanistan live without access to adequate shared the safety measures they implemented to healthcare. The Council assisted by providing keep their communities safe, and spoke about how medicines, sending healthcare professionals, and the Council’s initiatives enabled them to curb the delivering other forms of medical assistance to spread of the virus. those in need. Many Jamati members noted the widespread Ghaib Ali, a Jamati member from the Bollaq impact of the awareness campaign, saying that it village of Parwan province, commented, “At the helped them understand the importance of physical peak of the Covid-19 crisis, we had many cases of distancing, wearing face masks, washing hands, and infection and were unable to find paracetamol or other safety measures.