On 8 February, Professor Francis Omaswa presided over the Convocation of the Aga Khan University in Uganda. During the ceremony, he said: "I am aware of the outstanding reputation of the Aga Khan University here in Uganda. The establishment of a new Aga Khan University Hospital in Kampala is a most welcome development. It should help to raise the standard of care, to educate health care leaders, and to generate knowledge that is needed to address some of Uganda’s critical health challenges. I want to thank His Highness the Aga Khan for his commitment to improving the quality of life in East Africa."

In Ganj, a village in the Khatlon province of Tajikistan, a community-based savings group supported by AKF through the ESCoMIAD programme boasts 40 members - 35 of them female. Today, they are reportedly in their fourth cycle of activity, having blossomed from a small group of only 17 members. The group has accumulated over $4,000 in savings, with the value of loans increasing significantly over the last year.