Lifestyle / World Partnership Walk 2016: For Hope, Education, And Opportunities

World Partnership Walk 2016: For Hope, Education, And Opportunities

Lifestyle May 24, 2016

by Daniel Pillai

The World Partnership Walk 2016 is fast approaching, gearing up for another successful year in the fight to end global poverty!

On Sunday, May 29, the Toronto chapter of the World Partnership Walk will begin in a massive, collective effort to end global poverty.

As Canada’s largest annual event dedicated to increasing awareness and raising funds to fight global poverty, the World Partnership Walk takes place each year in 10 cities across the country.

The walk is an initiative by Aga Khan Foundation Canada, a non-profit international development agency working in Asia and Africa to find sustainable solutions to the complex problems causing global poverty.

^{Photo Credit: World Partnership Walk}

Since its inception 32 years ago, the annual event has raised more than $82 million for international development programs, with 100 percent of funds raised going directly toward initiatives that include poverty alleviation, health, education, rural development and supporting community-based organizations.

Thousands of people from all walks of life will join the event to do their part in fighting for the survival of some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

^{Photo Credit: World Partnership Walk}

Rehana, a mother and walk ambassador who has been doing the walk for years, is looking forward to participating again. “We started doing the walk in 2010 with strollers and wagons and now our little ones are walking and running the whole way!" she says. "We come together with a lot of love, a bit of effort and a strong desire to make a difference.”

Here's a sampling from the five program countries that benefit from the funds received by the World Partnership Walk every year. You can see the impact and positive influence of the initiative.

19,854 children under five years of age received treatment for severe acute malnutrition at 11 health facilities in northern Afghanistan. Over 12,000 pregnant women and 5,000 breastfeeding women also received nutrient supplements and treatment for acute malnutrition.
In Bamyan Province in northern Afghanistan, a small district hospital — where 15 out of 35 beds were in tents — is being transformed into a modern, 100-bed health facility offering a wide range of services. The completed hospital expansion will bring world-class facilities to some 400,000 Afghans — 70% of whom are women and children — by 2016.
Over 4,000 community health workers in Mali, Mozambique and Pakistan were identified, trained and supported to provide quality maternal and child health services in underserved areas.
In Mali, 97 communities came together to build new birthing centres. AKFC not only ensured that the communities had the necessary equipment and essential supplies to operate these centres but also provided training for over 2,000 midwives and other community health workers.
In 41 remote communities in Mozambique, bicycle and motorcycle ambulances now stand ready to provide lifesaving transportation during obstetric emergencies.
Thanks to a growing cadre of trained midwives and female health workers in northern Pakistan, 90 per cent of mothers are now aware of best infant feeding practices, compared to 59 per cent in 2012.
In 15 districts of Tanzania, over 2 million people saw improvements to the access and quality of maternal and child health services.

^{World Partnership Walk 2016 – Toronto Poster

Photo Credit: World Partnership Walk}

One of the main supporters of the World Partnership Walk is Macklin House Daycares. "The main reason that we picked this organization was because it does a lot of work with women, it does a lot of work with children and as an educator, I really do believe that all children should be given a fair, equal chance to grow and succeed in adulthood," says Shahina Lalani, director of Macklin House.

"The message really needs to be that just because we live in Canada, it doesn't’t mean that we shouldn't be equally responsible for what’s happening in Africa. My motivation behind this is to really teach the children that you and I are no different than the other people in the world that are affected and that are living in such marginal quality of life, and it’s our responsibility to help," continues Lalani.

Join the cause of sustaining and securing a nation in need by walking or becoming an infield AKFC worker in East Africa or Central Asia. In turn, you'll create your own inspirational story — just like the ambassadors who are making a difference in their local GTA communities.

Other ways you can contribute is by sponsoring a participant, helping to create a team and even involving your company or workplace.

For more info, check out the following website.

World Partnership Walk — www.worldpartnershipwalk.com
Aga Khan Foundation — www.akfc.ca, source: http://www.worldpartnershipwalk.com/en/

To get involved, click here.

^{Main Image Photo Credit: www.cjme.com}

To watch coverage of the 2015 World Partnership Walk on ANOKHI PULSE TV, just click on the video below!

Daniel Pillai

Author

Daniel is the Digital Media Manager for ANOKHI MEDIA and the host for ANOKHI's entertainment channel, PULSE TV. As part of the dream team, Daniel manages all multiple channels under ANOKHI’s portfolio, while also training new on-air talent, and showing budding p...

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