Aga Khan Rural Support Programme

The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) is a pioneering rural development organisation established by the Aga Khan Foundation in 1982 to improve the quality of life of communities in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Registered under the Companies Act, 2017 with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), AKRSP promotes community-led, inclusive, and sustainable development. AKRSP operates across all 10 districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, two districts of Chitral, and, since 2024, has expanded its work to Sindh—continuing its mission to empower rural communities across Pakistan. Its interventions span seven thematic areas: agriculture and food security, climate resilience, health and nutrition, education and early childhood development, civil society strengthening, and work and enterprise. Over four decades, AKRSP has implemented more than 4,000 small infrastructure projects—bridges, roads, irrigation systems, and hydropower units—planted 51 million trees, and developed hundreds of acres of land to support livelihoods and environmental sustainability. It has helped establish over 4,900 community organisations, mobilised nearly USD 5 million in local savings, and promoted clean energy through micro-hydel and solar-powered irrigation schemes. AKRSP’s success has inspired replication of its model across Pakistan and internationally, shaping similar initiatives led by the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, and Mozambique.