The month in pictures: August

In the village of Dweir Raslan, a couple collect freshly harvested tomatoes from their greenhouse. They are two of 96 members of a Common Interest Group (CIG) established by AKF to improve food security, nutrition and agricultural productivity at the community level. This CIG is utilising climate-smart greenhouses – resilient to Syria’s arid climate – to grow healthier, more diverse crops for their own consumption as well as to sell. Greenhouses enable farmers to grow crops year-round, for more stable productivity and increased profits.

These efforts are part of an AKF initiative, funded by KfW, to improve the resilience of rural communities across Syria, with particular emphasis on women and youth, allowing them to cope with economic uncertainty and environmental shocks.

A teacher presents her creative maths innovation at the Schools2030 Kenya 2026 Teacher-Led Innovation Showcase. The event brought together teachers, education stakeholders and partners to celebrate and showcase teacher-led innovations developed to address real challenges in their classrooms and schools. By developing playful learning tools like this one, teachers see more engagement and proficiency in challenging subjects.

The event created a platform for teachers to share their experiences, demonstrate their solutions and explore how innovations can move beyond individual classrooms to influence wider education systems.

Schools2030 is AKF’s flagship education initiative driving teacher-led education reform across 10 countries worldwide.

Three members of the ‘Hope Group’ stand in front of the goat shed they built after growing their livestock enterprise from just three goats to 32. This women-led group is one of 65 supported by AKF’s Tuinuke Pamoja project working to strengthen community groups, foster gender equality and connect local leaders to broader networks of change.

The Hope Group members have strengthened their skills in entrepreneurship, financial management, leadership and livestock management, helping transform a small community initiative into a sustainable source of income.

Today, the group’s impact reaches far beyond their farm; the women are passing on their knowledge and mentoring other women in their community. They have also supported local schoolgirls through sessions on gender-based violence and early pregnancy, while distributing reusable sanitary pads to help girls stay in school.

Tuinuke Pamoja is funded by the Embassy of Ireland in Tanzania and implemented by AKF across seven districts in Tanzania.

A woman sews under a newly installed light in the 40-household village of Lal Khan Luko. This coastal village had always been without electricity, despite the nearest grid line being only five kilometres away. With support from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) Pakistan, a 15kW solar micro-grid now provides reliable, clean energy to every home in the village.

Before, the community used kerosene for lighting, which was unreliable and potentially harmful. Access to clean electricity has transformed daily life here, not only lighting homes but enabling residents to take up new livelihoods. A women’s sewing centre, pictured here, is being powered by the grid. The system is managed by the community, with each household contributing monthly installments to support operation and ongoing maintenance.

Bringing clean energy to the coastal villages of Sindh is one element of the Sindh Coastal Resilience Integrated Programme (SCRIP), implemented by AKRSP with support from the Embassy of Denmark in Islamabad.

Maksatbek Pataev (left), Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP) Executive Director, and Nurgazy Choloev (right), Director of the Forest Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, shake hands as they sign a new Memorandum of Cooperation.

The partnership will strengthen joint efforts to expand forest cover, restore forest ecosystems and scale up reforestation activities. By bringing together expertise and resources, the collaboration will contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation and healthier landscapes, creating lasting benefits for communities across the Kyrgyz Republic.

MSDSP is an affiliated agency of AKF in the Kyrgyz Republic, implementing sustainable development initiatives to improve the quality of life of mountain communities.

During ‘Summer Club’ at the Tamkeen Centre, two children participate in an exercise designed to foster creativity, environmental awareness and play-based learning. Tamkeen is an AKF initiative which aims to (re)engage conflict-affected and vulnerable children and youth (aged 3-24) in safe and quality learning support through non-formal, community-based settings. It prioritises psychosocial development and emotional wellbeing, enabling children and young people to learn and play in a safe, inclusive environment with their peers, no matter their circumstances.

Tamkeen is funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation and delivered in partnership with Mhardeh Charitable Association.

Teachers pose for a group photo following a reflection workshop hosted by AKF and VVOB. AKF and VVOB have partnered on a pilot project, Teach2Empower, to bring together educators from across Mombasa County to exchange knowledge, ideas and practices, and strengthen collaboration across the education sector. The focus is on collective learning, particularly around green and gender pedagogies.

So far, 63 teachers have been engaged directly, whilst 220 have been reached through learning exchange school visits. As they continue to share what they’ve learnt, the aim is to reach more teachers, bringing informed, quality and inclusive education to schools across the county.

“Working in greenhouses is my favourite job! When I walk into the greenhouse in the morning, my mood instantly improves for the entire day.” – Usmonova Sabohat

Sabohat smiles as she tends to the crops in her greenhouse. In November 2025, she planted her first crop in her new greenhouse, and by December, she was already bringing fresh herbs home to her family. In her second harvest, Sabohat grew vegetables; some were used for home preserves, while the rest were sold to local shops. “Now, I am not only doing what I love, but I am also earning an income. I feel deeply motivated knowing that I grow organic produce using biofertilisers. On top of that, we have fresh vegetables and greens on our table all year round!” shares Sabohat.

Sabohat’s greenhouse is part of AKF’s wider efforts to enhance climate resilient agriculture in Tajikistan’s rural areas. This project is funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation and supported by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.