The month in pictures: July

Two girls take a quiet moment to read brochures given to them by Community Health Workers (CHWs) during a women’s health awareness event in their district. During the event, traditional Sukuma music and dance, community testimonies and interactive learning helped to raise awareness of breast and cervical cancer prevention, early screening and HPV vaccination.

A highlight of the gathering was the symbolic “Myth Tree” ceremony, where CHWs led community discussions to challenge common misconceptions about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. After each myth was addressed with accurate information, the cards were torn apart and placed in a burial container, symbolising the community’s commitment to leaving misinformation behind.

These efforts form part of the East Africa Comprehensive Women Cancer Project, led by Aga Khan Health Services and supported by AKF.

Search and rescue volunteers practice their rope rescue skills – a specialised technique for manoeuvring rescuers in and out of emergency situations, and casualties to safety. The volunteers, referred to as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), undergo regular intensive training facilitated by AKF. CERTs are the first responders during a crisis; as well as being equipped with critical life-saving skills, crucially, they are embedded within the community, significantly improving local response and emergency preparedness.

These efforts form part of AKF’s Emergency Management unit in Syria, which aims to support communities to strengthen their response and resilience capabilities during emergencies.

Learn more about CERTs.

Young women trek through Ala-Archa National Park as they train to become mountain guides. The trainer, Davran Osmonkulov – seen guiding the hikers across a tree-trunk bridge – is supporting the women to build their mountain safety and route-planning skills.

This initiative is a pilot project led by AKF in the Kyrgyz Republic, working towards a tourism sector where women are empowered to guide and lead, offering the win-win of more job opportunities for women as well as a safer travelling environment for women tourists.

A young fruit orchard begins to come to life amongst the mountains of northern Pakistan. The orchard features 30 apple and 90 cherry trees and utilises climate-resilient and high-value horticulture techniques. By improving fruit production practices with support from the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the farmer who owns this orchard has been able to enhance productivity and improve his income.

Since it was established in 1982, AKRSP has supported the planting of more than four million fruit trees across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, pioneering the introduction of improved cherry, apple and apricot varieties, along with other high-value fruit species to improve quality, productivity and market opportunities for farming communities.

Community members enjoy a moment of celebration as six freshwater wells are established in their village. Living in Madagascar’s remote Melaky region, this community previously had to sail long distances to fetch clean, safe drinking water. Close access to taps is truly life changing for the residents and is already improving their quality of life, granting them more time to work and spend time with their families.

Here, AKF is working in partnership with Blue Ventures to support small-scale fishing communities to respond to climate change and build sustainable futures, including strengthening infrastructure.

Supported by Blue Action Fund.

Community members, AKF staff and government officials gather around beehives presented to the community by Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Dansari Anasuya. The minister distributed 670 bee boxes across three villages. Families are using beekeeping to diversify their incomes, strengthen their resilience and support a healthier local environment. AKF is working to expand beekeeping to more villages, fostering collective action and sustainable development.

These efforts are part of the Telangana Inclusive Livelihoods Programme, delivered in partnership with Humble Bee, the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), the Department of Rural Development, Government of Telangana, and BRAC International.