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  • Mawlana Hazar Imam and Ambassador Richard Sezibera, Secretary General of the East African Community, meeting at the EAC headquarters in Arusha.
    The Ismaili | 18 July 2012 | Global

    Mawlana Hazar Imam signs AKDN agreement with East African Community

    Mawlana Hazar Imam and Ambassador Richard Sezibera, Secretary General of the East African Community, meeting at the EAC headquarters in Arusha. Zahur Ramji
  • Mawlana Hazar Imam applauds the signing of an agreement between the EAC and German development bank KfW Bankengruppe, by the EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Dr Richard Sezibera, and the German Ambassador, His Excellency Klaus-Peter Brandes, in support o
    The Ismaili | 18 July 2012 | Global

    Mawlana Hazar Imam signs AKDN agreement with East African Community

    Mawlana Hazar Imam applauds the signing of an agreement between the EAC and German development bank KfW Bankengruppe, by the EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Dr Richard Sezibera, and the German Ambassador, His Excellency Klaus-Peter Brandes, in support o Zahur Ramji
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Arusha, 18 July 2012 – Mawlana Hazar Imam signed an agreement with the East African Community (EAC) today, that will strengthen and broaden cooperation between the Aga Khan Development Network and the EAC in the areas of economic, social and cultural development throughout East Africa. The agreement highlights the need for improvements in education and healthcare, including efforts to promote the expansion of the Aga Khan University as a regional university for East Africa.

 

“Our partnership will aim to provide equitable development through equal opportunity to the people of the East African region,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam. “Our joint programmes will aim to develop human potential and build cohesive societies that will ensure the improvement of the quality of lives of all regardless of faith or origin.”

Ambassador Richard Sezibera, Secretary General of the East African Community signed on behalf of the organisation at a ceremony that took place at the EAC headquarters in Arusha. Speaking at the signing ceremony, he said: “This partnership reflects the vision articulated in the first East African Community Development Strategy in 1997 and in every successive strategy, and is consonant with our shared ambition of bringing sustainable benefits and improved quality of life to all the peoples of the EAC.”

In addition to initiatives in employment creation, income generation and poverty reduction, the agreement highlights the need for improvements in education and healthcare. This includes efforts to promote the expansion of the Aga Khan University as a regional university for East Africa, which will set up centres or campuses in each partner state, in addition to the establishment of the principal campus in Arusha.

 

In a separate agreement also signed in Arusha, the EAC and the Government of Germany announced a contribution of 10 million euros towards the support of the Aga Khan University's nursing and midwifery education programmes in East Africa.

Earlier in the day Mawlana Hazar Imam met with President Jakaya Kikwete in Dar es Salaam. Hazar Imam arrived in Tanzania on Tuesday to meet with senior government officials, including the Honourable Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, and to review progress on AKDN projects in the country.