The month in pictures: June

Climate-friendly agricultural solutions in India, teachers take to global education stage in Portugal, and AKF UK’s inter-cultural Silk Road Bazaar in London: scroll down to catch a glimpse of our work this month.

Rice is a staple food in Madagascar and the nation is one of the highest per-capita rice consuming countries in the world. Yet despite annual rice production averaging four million metric tons, Madagascar remains non-self-sufficient at meeting its own demand. AKF’s 100% natural rice cultivation method, known as Zanatany, is helping farmers to produce higher and healthier yields. 

Location: Madagascar 

Photographer: Grégoire Imberty 

Pakistani teacher, Shazia Bibi, speaks on stage at the Schools2030 Global Forum 2023. Shazia presented her achievements in improving education for girls in her community in Chitral in front of more than 200 delegates, including policymakers, donors, researchers, youth, and fellow teachers.  

Location: Porto, Portugal 

Photographer: Rui Gouveia 

Nazira Ghulomamadova is the owner of this 90m2 greenhouse in the Rushan district of Tajikistan. Constructed by AKF, the greenhouse enables Nazira to cultivate vegetables for her own family as well as to sell it at the local market. Nazira’s greenhouse is one of 13 greenhouses in GBAO through AKF’s Local Impact project, supported by USAID. 

Location: Rushan district of GBAO, Tajikistan 

Photographer: Anzurat Akobirshoeva 

AKF’s Foundation for Learning (F4L) programme is supporting teachers’ professional development in primary schools in Lindi. A key aspect of the programme is to integrate gender responsive pedagogies into teaching to foster more inclusive education through teacher training sessions like this one, being led by Mr. Athuman Shaqsy Ramadhani. So far, more than 200 teachers have been trained by other teachers to champion gender equity and inclusivity in their classrooms, as well as to pass on this knowledge to their school communities. 

Location: Lindi, Tanzania 

Photographer: Helana Fivawo 

AKF staff in Madagascar together with local farmers use a local dugout canoe – known as a pirogue – to reach remote communities we’re working with in northern Madagascar. Here, AKF operates through its local branch, Organisation de Soutien pour le Développement Rural à Madagascar (OSDRM). 

Location: Sava Diana, Madagascar 

Photographer: Grégoire Imberty

Vipulbhai Narotambhai Rumani is a farmer from the western Indian state of Gujarat. He, along with many other local farmers, is facing frequent droughts, unpredictable rainfall, inadequate irrigation, and a declining water level. Vipul has managed to overcome these obstacles through his new drip irrigation system, supported by AKF. The initiative has enabled him to adapt to the harsh climate conditions and establish income streams through horticulture, mixed cropping, and intercropping.

When visiting Vipulbhai’s farm, AKF staff spotted a double rainbow over his fields.

Location: Sundernagar, Gujarat 

Photographer: Md Meharban

Mystic Sufi devotional singers perform at AKF UK’s Silk Road Bazaar in London’s King’s Cross. The leading Qawwali group, Chand Ali Khan, took to the stage on the last weekend of the month, bringing mesmerising melodies to the bustling market. As well as musical performances, the Bazaar brought unique and authentic crafts, textiles and foods from countries along the historic Silk Road trading route. 

Location: London, United Kingdom 

Photographer: Christopher Wilton-Steer

Kanybek Imanaliev, Minister of Education and Science, Kyrgyz Republic, presented a traditional Kyrgyz tapestry as a gift to João Costa, the Minister of Education in Portugal during the closing ceremony of the Schools2030 Global Forum. Schools2030 is AKF’s flagship education programme, and its annual Global Forum unites the entire Schools2030 global community to learn, share, and collaborate on achieving its goal of quality education by 2030. Next year, the Forum will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic. 

Location: Porto, Portugal 

Photographer: Rui Gouveia 

In the remote areas of the Kyrgyz Republic, kindergartens like this one are giving children the best possible started in life. Yet, with limited financial capacity, many of these centres are struggling to stay open. At this kindergarten in the country’s Leilek District, AKF has helped make repairs to the building, where a broken roof was threatening the future of local children’s learning.  

Location: Batken region, Kyrgyz Republic 

Photographer: Nilufar Kargasova