The month in pictures: March

Members of a women’s community-based savings group (CBSG) overlook a rice field in the central highlands of Madagascar shortly before harvest. The rice field is owned by one of the group members and has been grown using the Zanatany system – a 100% natural AKF-developed rice cultivation technique that saves costs and labour hours, yields greater harvests, diversifies crops and regenerates soil. In this rural region, Zanatany has led to a better quality of life for local communities, who can earn more money from rice farming, support sustainable agriculture systems, and improve nutrition.

Lisandra recently pitched her idea for a device that helps women in situations of violence seek support. She presented her idea at a Bloom Your Biz event, an AKF-supported programme which supports entrepreneurs to develop and launch new businesses. Lisandra was able to conceptualise her idea after graduating from Bytes4Future, a digital upskilling programme for youth out of employment, training or education, also supported by AKF. Speaking on International Women’s Day, Lisandra said, “Being a woman is being a fighter, being a mother, and being strong in very difficult moments.”

On International Women’s Day in Bihar, Krishna took the stage. She is a pashu sakhi – a paravet transforming goat rearing practices and women’s livelihoods in her community. Before a large crowd of women, including fellow pashu sakhis and goat rearers, Krishna shared her inspiring journey, recounting the challenges she has overcome since she began working as a pashu sakhi in 2016. Managing the health of over 1,200 goats, selling goat feed, and operating a thriving vegetable seedling nursery, Krishna exemplifies resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.

On a paper heart, Ghazal writes her dreams for the future – to become a poet and a lawyer. To mark International Women’s Day, students and teachers at Ghazal’s local AGENCI centre decorated the space with purple streamers, balloons and banners. Together they hung purple hearts on a ‘tree of wishes’, sharing their dream careers. AGENCI – the Adolescent Girls’ Education in Crisis Initiative – supports marginalised youth, especially girls, in Syria to catch up on their studies, learn essential life skills, and train in vocational skills.

The women of Gilgit cut a celebratory cake during the closing ceremony of a two-day event dedicated to showcasing women leaders and gender equality advocates. The attendees represent a diverse group of gender champions – both male and female – who are spearheading initiatives across various sectors including sports, the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, the public and private sectors, and civil society. The event was filled with enriching discussions, documentary screenings, knowledge sharing, and inspiring personal stories, providing a platform to forge partnerships to further propel progress towards a more inclusive society.

In the Kochkor district of Naryn – a mountainous region of the Kyrgyz Republic – Aida produces bio-fertiliser from discarded sheep’s wool. With the support of AKF & USAID’s Local Impact project, Aida is said to be one of the first people in the Kyrgyz Republic to develop an environmentally-friendly fertiliser – positively addressing soil degradation and working to preserve moisture, increase nutrients, and improve water and air exchange in the soil.

At 21 years old, Safora is running her own business in the city of Vahdat. She is a refugee from Afghanistan and since starting a new life in Tajikistan, Safora has learnt to build her business and has recently opened a tailoring shop. Through AKF and USAID’s Local Impact project, she developed her entrepreneurial skills and secured a grant to buy new sewing machines and mannequins for her shop.

Khadijah smiles on harvest day in her greenhouse in Salamieh. She is part of a women’s farming group supported by AKF, growing lettuce in a climate resilient greenhouse – complete with a solar energy system. Syria is ranked among the 10 most food insecure countries in the world, a situation exacerbated by climate-aggravated drought and desertification and unsustainable agricultural systems. Khadijah and her group are supporting themselves and their families to earn an income, meanwhile using environmentally friendly agricultural solutions.

Marília lives in Sintra and is one of the founders of Cooperativa Bandim, a worker cooperative focused on empowering immigrants and artisans with creative and entrepreneurial skills. One of its many outputs is cultural craft collections, produced by artisans like Marília. Marília learnt her craft through a sewing training course under AKF’s Mais Ação programme – a community development programme that aims to promote social inclusion and active citizenship amongst Sintra’s diverse communities.

Eunice (left), a pre-primary teacher, and Halima (right), National Coordinator for Schools2030 in Kenya, test out a teacher innovation at a Schools2030 showcase in Mombasa. The event celebrates innovations of teachers and youth partners from Lamu and Mombasa, who presented their designs to different stakeholders in the education sector, including fellow teachers and learners. Some of the visiting teachers expressed their interest in replicating the innovations in their classrooms and spoke with the design teams about how to develop their own innovations.

Schools2030 is AKF’s flagship education programme recognising and amplifying teachers as leaders, innovators and active agents in education reform.