Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)

Commenced operations in December 1982, and has presence in the Northern Areas & Chitral, NWFP.

The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme was established by the Aga Khan Foundation in 1982, as a private, non-communal (that is supporting all religious sects) non-profit company. AKRSP is working with communities living along the slopes of formidable mountain ranges and facing some of the most vulnerable and challenging physical and socio-economic environment in the world. Despite these odds, AKRSP has made some watershed accomplishments, foremost among which are as follows:

  • Inspired the creation of nine other rural support programmes in Pakistan and the creation of rural support programmes in other areas of Aga Khan Foundation's operations. AKRSP also continues to influence and shape the development programmes of a range of other civil society organizations, both within Pakistan and abroad.
  • Creating model examples of supporting the economic and institutional development of the local communities in collaboration with government departments, elected bodies, and national and international development agencies.
  • More than doubling the incomes of the rural poor in the NAC in the last twenty years, and there is evidence to suggest that a major contribution to this accomplishment can be attributed to AKRSP.
  • Creation of the first private sector micro finance bank in Pakistan in November 2002.

Funding Arrangements

AKRSP works in close partnership with Government, other civil society organisations and businesses. The Government of Pakistan, Aga Khan Foundation, Government of Canada, Government of Germany, Government of Norway, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Government of Switzerland generously support its work. Over the past five years AKRSP has had an annual budget of about US $6 million.

To commemorate its twenty years experience in the Northern Areas and Chitral, with the assistance of DFID and CIDA, AKRSP has documented the lessons learnt in the major sectors of its operations. These include: collective action, gender, micro-finance, enterprise promotion, infrastructure development and natural resource management. For further information please visit the website: www.akrsplessons.org

Contact Information:

The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme
Izhar Ali Hunzai
General Manager
BabarRoad, Gilgit
P.O.Box 506
Tel: 92-5811-52480 and 52910
Email: izhar.hunzai@akrsp.org.pk