The Coastal Rural Support EAST AFRICA Programme has enabled 41,000 farmers to double their rice and sesame yields in Southern Tanzania. Once dry, sesame seeds from this harvest will be crushed and used to make oil, which can be sold thereby raising rural incomes.

Programme Development Partners The Coastal Rural Support Programme development. Civil Society Organisations in Tanzania or CRSP(T) seeks to (CSOs) are important to all the sectors in Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) enhance food security and the incomes which AKF works. They facilitate health Dubai Cares of people living in Lindi and Mtwara awareness campaigns, help teachers European Commission by strengthening the production of and school leaders access training Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT) Flora Foundation both staple foods and cash crops in programmes, carry out advocacy work Johnson & Johnson the two regions. CRSP(T) supports and assist poor rural people create Lions Club multiple economic activities that improve savings programmes. United Kingdom Department for International agricultural production by mainly Development (DfID) United States Agency for International enhancing productivity and educating To maximise the impact of its work, Aga Khan Foundation Activities in East Africa Development (USAID) farmers on better marketing practices. AKF catalyses engagement between Its key focus has been on the rice government, civil society and the The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and sesame value chains, as well as private sector. This integrated approach early childhood development, rural different levels. This model ensures is a private, not-for-profit, non increasing access to financial services facilitates progress towards the development and the strengthening of that teachers adopt effective teaching denominational international through Community Based Savings achievement of a more civil society. civil society. and learning methods and reflective development agency that works Groups (CBSGs). These savings groups practices, schools offer attractive and to improve the quality of life of Education allow households to pool their funds AKF’s civil society programme seeks to supportive learning environments, and communities in remote and resource and take small loans. As of 2014, a improve the efficiency and effectiveness AKF and its institutional predecessors parents and the wider community are poor areas. AKF is an agency of the total of 54,000 smallholder farmers had of CSOs through an independent have supported education in East actively involved in the various aspects Aga Khan Development Network doubled their rice and sesame yields certification body called Viwango, Africa for over a century. Building on of school life. (AKDN), a group of international while strengthening their conservation which strengthens the visibility, quality, this historical presence in the region development agencies, institutions agriculture skills. The CSBG initiative governance and integrity of CSOs with and working closely with the Ministries Over the past few years, AKF has and programmes that work primarily has seen more than 120,000 people support from AKF. of Education in Kenya, Tanzania and integrated the Reading to Learn For further information in the poorest parts of Africa and save a total of US$ 2.2 million as at the Uganda, the Foundation aims to enable (RtL) and Reading for Children (RfC) Asia. The Foundation implements its Aga Khan Foundation (East Africa) end of 2013. In addition to enhancing the credibility of more children to access education, stay approaches within the SIP model. 3rd Floor, The Courtyard programmes without regard to the CSOs, AKF also enhances their capacity in school longer and attain improved General Mathenge Drive, Westlands Civil Society faith, origin or gender of the people it learning outcomes. AKF complements RtL is a systematic and balanced P.O. Box 40898, 00100 to sustain their programmes through serves. Nairobi, Kenya. The existence of a robust civil society local philanthropy and other innovative government efforts and contributes approach to the teaching of literacy Tel: +254 41 200 5358 / +254 41 200 2879 that effectively advances the public means by supporting the East African to policy dialogue by implementing and numeracy, which seeks to rapidly Fax: +254 20 212 1805 In East Africa, AKF works with partners innovative programmes that apply enhance learning outcomes for children. E-mail: [email protected] good is a critical factor for effective Association of Grantmakers (EAAG). to improve the quality of life by promoting the latest research and practice to RfC aims at fostering a culture of reading Website: www.akdn.org/akf and developing innovative solutions to developing country settings. among children and their families and the challenges of development in Kenya, strengthening the abilities of parents Tanzania and Uganda. Reflecting the AKF pursues these goals through and educators to support their children’s complex and multifaceted nature of its School Improvement Programme learning and development by providing The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private development agencies working to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged development, AKF’s programmes in the (SIP), a multi-faceted approach that access to children’s books in schools circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities, especially in Africa and Asia. Its agencies work in over 30 countries for the common good of all citizens, regardless of their gender, origin or religion. Its underlying impulse is the ethic of compassion for the vulnerable in society. region encompass education, health, strengthens education systems at and communities.

© AKDN, January 2014. Information contained in this brief can be reproduced with acknowledgement to AKDN. Photo credits: AKDN / Lucas Moura

AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK www.akdn.org The Joining Hands Initiative is a key of Public-Private Partnerships with 40 with four village organisations to 195 AKF’s School Improvement AKF-supported health initiative in East public health facilities. The management village organisations with over 230,000 Programme (SIP) works to strengthen Africa. Implemented in Tanzania, it and leadership of 20 health facilities members. It helped build 121 dams and education systems by combining targets over 750,000 individuals (92 has also been strengthened in Southern small farm reservoirs that provide access effective teaching methods and percent of them women) across 15 Tanzania, reaching 4,800 homes in the to water for domestic and productive use districts in the Dodoma, Iringa, Mbeya, region. In 2013, two government health in the target communities, helping many supportive learning environments. It Morogoro and Mwanza regions, facilities achieved ISO 9001 Certification, households increase their agricultural reaches 320,000 children, including providing direct health service delivery, a first for a government health facility in production and income. CRSP(K) helped these pupils at the Mukuru slum in sensitisation, capacity building and Tanzania. improve access to water, sanitation Nairobi, Kenya. the use of eHealth and mHealth and hygiene in 50 schools for 30,000 Rural Development technologies. Its mHealth initiative has children. It also developed 47 kilometres registered over 4,000 women, enabling AKF works with government and private of piped water for 24,000 community them access information on healthy sector partners to increase agricultural members, encouraged each household pregnancy and early childhood care productivity and incomes in isolated rural to establish a kitchen garden for AKF’s educational programmes Through the Madrasa Early Childhood development in East Africa. Through using their mobile phones. The clinical communities. The Foundation’s rural improved nutrition and helped mitigate support 1,300 primary schools across Programme (MECP) in partnership effective Public-Private Partnerships in excellence component of the project development programmes typically link the widespread degradation of water East Africa, benefiting over 320,000 with the East African Governments and line with the respective health policies aims to improve and establish quality elements such as increased agricultural bodies by growing over 250,000 trees. children in Southern Tanzania, the West other partners, AKF promotes access and strategic plans of the Governments assurance processes that ensure the productivity, savings and credit, human Nile region of Uganda, as well as the to quality pre-primary education, as of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, AKF provision of high quality health care. skills development, infrastructure As part of its sustainability strategy, Coastal, Nairobi and North Eastern well as school readiness and transition and its sister AKDN agencies provide development and the management of CRSP(K) has developed a cadre of regions of Kenya. initiatives. MECP has in the last three high quality health services (primary to Another AKF-supported initiative, the natural resources. resource persons to perpetuate its decades established community-based tertiary) that seek to ensure a continuum Aga Khan University’s Advanced Nursing work beyond the programme lifetime, in The Foundation has also supported the preschools and supported preschools of care and set quality standards in the Studies Programme, addresses the In East Africa, AKF’s Coastal Rural this way ensuring that the experience, establishment of over 200 community attached to primary schools in Kenya, region. Human resource development shortage and poor distribution of trained Support Programme has raised incomes skills and knowledge developed remain libraries across East Africa to help foster Uganda and Tanzania. In 2013, the at different levels builds the core of health personnel across East Africa. for coastal communities in Southern embedded within the community. a culture of reading. programme supported over 960 AKDN’s contribution to health system The programme seeks to increase Tanzania and the semi-arid rural areas of community and public preschools, development in East Africa, while the number and quality of health Kenya’s Coastal Region. Since 2009, AKF has increasingly Early Childhood Development benefiting 75,000 children (48 percent of technological innovations such as the professionals by helping nurses upgrade trained its focus on the Lindi and Mtwara Scientific research has shown that the them girls). Transition rates into primary use of e-health (telemedicine) and their credentials while remaining in The programme was first inaugurated regions of Southern Tanzania. Like first years of life represent the period of school at the proper age in community mHealth (mobile health) platforms help service. Over 1,980 scholarships have in 1997 in Kaloleni, Kilifi and Kinango, the Coastal Region of Kenya, Lindi the most rapid growth of the mental and based preschools supported by MECP reach out to lower income groups and been awarded to nursing students in the three of Kenya’s poorest and most and Mtwara have historically been socio-emotional capacities of a child. have risen from 8 percent to 75 percent the marginalised. decade between 2002 and 2013. Faculty drought-prone districts. Located in the characterised by poverty, partly due to It is a critical period that determines in Kenya, and from 2 percent to 96 have also been developed to apply best country’s Coastal Region, the three market barriers that have prevented the child’s future survival and growth. percent in Uganda as of 2013. AKDN has also developed a network of practice pedagogies and the University districts face harsh climatic conditions, smallholders from capitalising on Investing in these early years is a key community health workers who provide maintains an active alumni network that are geographical remote and generally potential market opportunities. These step towards developing children into AKF also supports children aged below health promotion and disease prevention takes part in research and knowledge have low access to government services. include low access to farm inputs confident and creative learners, and five by enhancing health awareness and education, thus improving the health sharing activities. Many residents lack access to clean like fertiliser and seeds; low adoption ultimately into responsible members of supporting maternal and child health behaviours of communities. drinking water, infrastructure is poor and of good agricultural practices due to the society. by improving the capacity of health Among other successes, these AKF- there is limited access to education and scant access to extension officers; high facilities , as well as by creating linkages While the wider AKDN effort emphasises supported health initiatives have health care. The Coastal Rural Support post-harvest losses due to inadequate Early Childhood Development (ECD) between these health facilities and health promotion, disease prevention, enabled the training of over 1,400 Programme in Kenya or CRSP(K), grew storage, pests and crop diseases; and is an important priority area for AKF in communities. In 2013, the programme human resource development and the health workers and the establishment over a 15-year period from working limited access to finance. East Africa. AKF’s ECD programme reached over 55,000 mothers and provision of technical assistance to help focuses on igniting the child’s potential children aged below five. It has in national governments strengthen their for lifelong adaptability, innovation recent years given increasing attention healthcare systems, AKF’s programmes and communication skills, in addition towards incorporating stimulation, care place critical focus on Maternal, to developing their problem-solving and nutrition into ECD programmes for Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), The Aga Khan Health Centre in capacity and imparting in them the children under the age of three. which remains a pressing public health Mwanza, Tanzania, is one of 36 values of responsible citizenship and issue in East Africa. AKF provides a medical centres through which AKF Health respect for diversity. continuum of care that ensures effective works to reduce child and maternal AKF’s health programmes seek to health care throughout the lifecycle – all mortality in Tanzania, reaching strengthen community resilience by the way from pre-pregnancy through Cover Photo: The Kasubi Modern Islamic 750,000 people in 15 districts. Nursery School in Kampala, Uganda, is one addressing the leading causes of death pregnancy, childbirth and the early Maternal, Newborn and Child Health of 960 preschools supported by AKF’s Early and disease among women and children days and years of a child’s life, as well Childhood Development (ECD) Programme in aged below five. The Foundation’s health as spatially – across the home, the (MNCH) forms the core of AKF’s East Africa. The programme benefits 75,000 children below the age of five across the programmes are part of a broader AKDN community, the health centre and the health programming in East Africa. region. effort to contribute to health systems hospital.