Global -- Afghan midwife and nurse Shukria Hussaini was born in 1990 during the Civil War in Afghanistan. Very quickly after seeking asylum in Pakistan, she became familiar with the work of AKDN and the Jamati institutions, particularly the educational sectors that focused on English learning. Today, Shukria finds herself on the World Health Organization's list of 100 Outstanding Nurses and ...

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USA -- Innovatively repurposing filters from respirators, and reconfiguring classroom desk design to keep children in school, and safe from infection. Karim Budhwani Last year, as word of the COVID-19 pandemic started to spread across the United States, Karim Budhwani realized that the country was not prepared to face this crisis. He joined forces with others to put out briefs identifying ...

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UK -- In celebration of International Women's Day, the TKN committee would like to recognise the phenomenal contribution made to our institutions by the female members of our Jamat. Seva or volunteering, is a core ethos within the Ismaili tariqa, and TKN allows murids to use their skills and knowledge for the benefit of our institutions and all the individuals we ...

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UK -- Last updated: 3 March 2021 The Chancellor has announced the Budget for 2021, which has implications for Jamati households and businesses. Please see below a summary of the main announcements. For the official government summary, please click here. Furlough schemeExtended until the end of September 2021Government will pay 80% of employees' wages for hours they cannot workEmployers contribution to ...

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Global -- Farah Williamson's story is multi-faceted. As a 10-year-old girl, she had to flee her home country, Rwanda, during the 1994 genocide. Today, Farah is the co-founder of Project Shelter Wakadogo, a not-for-profit school in Gulu, Uganda. Farah speaks about these experiences and more in the second episode of The Ismaili TV's original series Trailblazers. In the episode, Farah explains ...

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Far East -- She is a Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator, and founder of an education and research non-profit. Who is this renaissance woman who wears so many hats? She is Dr Asha de Vos, a passionate young marine biologist and educator. She also currently serves as executive cirector of Oceanswell in Sri Lanka, and is a pioneering researcher studying ...

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UK -- Women are at the core of disaster and emergency relief operations at the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), supported by FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance. Shamim Bano, a middle-school teacher in Pakistan, has recently returned from a fortnight in Kabul where she trained Afghan women in search and rescue work. As a young girl, Bano was disturbed by some of ...

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Pakistan -- In the quest for a memorable occasion, the bride and groom often overlook one fundamental detail which, as it happens, will seal their impending marriage: the Nikahnama. A Nikahnama is a formal, legally binding contract that solemnises the bride and groom's union in accordance with Sharia. It outlines the rights and obligations of the newlyweds in Islamic marriage proceedings. ...

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Portugal -- Ya Ali Madad, It´s been nearly one year since our lives have changed drastically. We had to learn a new reality and a new way of living. Even though there have been moments of despair, there were also moments of knowledge and gratitude. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 taught us that life isn't linear and that at any moment everything ...

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UK -- It can be a very overwhelming time for many of us at the moment. To try and alleviate feelings of anxiety and worry, it can be helpful to focus on the small aspects of life which are in our control, rather than focussing on all of the uncertainties presented to us. To protect ourselves and our families we are ...

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Pakistan -- World-renowned for the succulent cherries of Pakistan, this delicious fruit from Hunza almost missed its yearly market debut. Cherry-picking in Hunza was not the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oftentimes, traders would book cherry trees and ensure the picking, packaging and transportation of this delicious fruit to market, compensating tree 'owners' accordingly. The shutdowns and lockdowns, due to COVID-19, ...

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UK -- Here are some tips to try out and see what works for you. In this new world of working from home, with school lessons, exercise classes and communications moved online, it can feel like you and your family are spending a full day behind a screen. Consciously carving out time for activities that aren't focused around your screen can ...

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USA -- How one individual's commitment to teaching faith and values has impacted two generations through Camp Al Ummah "Al-Ummah was one of our first large big projects. Similar to the way you nurture your firstborn, we wanted to do things with care to get it to the level we needed it to benefit the Jamat. Al-Ummah has made a monumental ...

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Global -- The complex challenges facing our increasingly volatile world -- from climate change to rural development to security -- are also a source of opportunity for the next generation of leaders and changemakers. Around the world, young Ismailis like Rufayda Dhamani, Nurmuhammad Butabekov, and Aleem Rehmtulla are taking creative approaches to address these issues and prepare for the future of ...

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Global -- I always saw the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a daunting exam; nevertheless, the fact that so many students would be taking it with me physically gave me some sense of moral support, even if that support was coming from strangers. I never expected studying for this exam to take such a different turn with the pandemic hitting ...

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USA -- Stand-up comedian and award-winning podcast host, Shereen Kassam, shares her inspiring creative journey. Shereen Kassam had never heard of "stand-up comedy" until one blustery day in her mid-20s. Her mother had volunteered extra space in her daughter's Boston home to a budding dental student needing a place to crash for the weekend. Shereen, a self-proclaimed introvert, begrudgingly went along ...

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Portugal -- O Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB) encontra-se a promover uma nova rúbrica intitulada "110% - O aluno do mês", com o objetivo de destacar os alunos de excelência do nosso Jamat. Se te encontras entre o 5º e o 12º ano, envia-nos a tua carta de apresentação! Com o objetivo de fomentar uma educação de qualidade, garantindo que cada ...

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Global -- With the rapidly changing world we find ourselves in, individuals and families are having to face an ever-fluctuating economy and changing patterns of employment. Yasmin Jetha, a non-executive director of the NatWest Group Plc, the Nation Media Group in East Africa, and the Guardian Media Group in the UK, shares her thoughts on navigating these changes and working towards ...

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Pakistan -- An ophthalmologist and alumna of the Aga Khan University (AKU), Dr. Zubaida Sirang's book Optics Made Easy: Last Minute Review of Clinical Optics, has been selected for the "Best Ophthalmology Books of All Time" list by BookAuthority, a leading website for book recommendations which curates books on a wide range of topics. As the only woman from Pakistan to ...

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