Please find summary of all posts made during the visit of His Highness the Aga Khan to the West Africa region in April-May 2008.  The same file is also archived at Summary tab.

Download PDF

FILTISAC  S. A. was established in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa in 1965 under the network of IPS WA (Industrial Promotion Services, West Africa), an Institution of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED).

AKFED’s mandate is to promote economic development projects which raise the standard of living and contribute to economic development in countries in the developing world.  FILTISAC is located in Abidjan. It is installed on an area of land of approximately 102 acres, comprising of the factory, raw material and finished goods warehouses, the offices, the socio-medical structures, the sport facilities and residential accommodation. - source.

Pictures source: AKDN/Gary Otte All linked to original source.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Angola Press: Côte d`Ivoire: Angolan Diplomat Meets Winner of Nobel Prize in Economics

Abidjan, 05/02 - The Angolan ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, Gilberto Buta Lutucuta met last Thursday in Abidjan city, with his highness, Aga Khan, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, who expressed his desire to visit the country.
At the occasion, Aga Khan said he wants to visit Angola with the intention to carry out a research, and as he has done in other countries, apply a rural development programme, with the installing of a micro-credit system.

In Côte d’Ivoire, where he paid a visit of some days, the winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, was received by the Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo, and signed last Wednesday, a convention to install the first micro-credit agency, in Abidjan.

The international community decided to attribute the Nobel Prize in economics, to the Asian, Aga Khan, for the creation and installing of micro-credit, in the framework of his fight against poverty in rural areas.

Translated via Google / Source: L’Intelligent D’Abidjan

He arrived in Abidjan during the morning of Monday, April 28, 2008, His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th hereditary imam of Shiite Ismaili Muslims and businessman, is very interested in the field of micro-finance in Côte d’Ivoire . At the Presidential Palace, he realized that interest by signing a convention for the first agency of micro-finance in Côte d’Ivoire.

As a prelude to the Convention, which authorizes the establishment of a microfinance institution in Côte d’Ivoire, close associates of His Highness the Aga Khan exchanged with the press during the day Tuesday, April 29. Jacques Toureille, Director General of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, Kris Janowski, Director of Communication and secretary and Ferid Nandjee, representative of the AKDN (Aga Khan Development Network) in West Africa, explained the Journalists at stake and the goal by His Highness.

This is according to them, through the Micro-finance, fight against economic exclusion and combat poverty in rural and urban populations by offering a wide range of products suited to their needs. According to collaborators of His Highness, the mandate assigned to the financial institution whose start-up activities is expected no later than September 2008.

With a capital of 3 billion CFA francs (7 million), the institution will be conducted in collaboration with IFC (International Finance Corporation), an agency under the World Bank, the French Cooperation Agency, the European Bank of investment, they assured. In the future, officials expect the institution to strengthen resources in order to obtain 20 million dollars (nearly 9 billion FCFA) to cover 50 miles borrowers. This is the goal that the institution intends to achieve by 4 to 5 years. Côte d’Ivoire is the 7th African country in which an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network) is created, for a total of 14 branches. — Honore Kouassi

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Cooperation / His Highness Karim Khan Aga in Abidjan
Abidjan.net - April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008. On a visit to our country, the head of the Ismaili community met with President Laurent Gbagbo

Source: Translated via Google

ABIDJAN - The AKDN (Aga Khan Development Network), one of the largest private development networks in the world, announced Tuesday the opening in September of the first agency of micro-finance Côte d’Ivoire to ” contribute to the fight against poverty “.

An agreement establishing the agency was signed Tuesday in Abidjan between Ivorian government and the AKDN, in the presence of Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and the Aga Khan.

The agency, the 7th of the AKDN in Africa, “will have a capital of $ 7 million,” said Jacques Toureille, Director General of the Aga Khan Agency for micro-finance (AKAM), promising d ‘capital increase this to 20 million dollars in the coming years.

The first branch offices will open in September in northern Cote d’Ivoire, where the group Aga Khan is also present in the cotton sector.

“The agency will help people who are in a precarious situation in rural areas to evolve to have a stable life with credit,” said Toureille. ”

The AKDN’s mission is to improve living conditions and contribute to economic development in the poorest countries.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Translated via Google, Source: Fratmat.info

Last update: 28 Apr 2008 - 23:08 GMT

The prince is visiting since yesterday in Abidjan. He was received by the Head of State.

The Head of State, Laurent Gbagbo, had a meeting yesterday afternoon with His Highness the Aga Khan. The two statesmen discussed the regional situation and economic reconstruction in Côte d’Ivoire. The Head of State of Côte d’Ivoire has explained to his guest areas where he wanted to see it, “said the Aga Khan at the end of the meeting. “Our two teams will speak to stop something in the economic, social and the fight against poverty,” he added. Prior to these discussions, the Aga Khan said at a press conference held upon his arrival at the airport Felix Houphouet Boigny he is convinced that the best way to have a result on development is work on different areas simultaneously instead devote himself to one.

In a state visit to Cote d’Ivoire for three days, Aga Khan explained that the step of Abidjan is part of a journey that began in countries where its network has a strong presence to take stock of their activities and possibly extend to other areas. “I wanted to visit all the countries that are important for the institution (the Aga Khan network). I just finished a visit to the USA and now go to India and Bangladesh. I will go to Central Asia later this year. So I would like to end this year having made the point in all countries where we have important interests, “he explained.

Speaking of Côte d’Ivoire, the host of the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo has stressed that he has a personal and institutional commitment to the country. “The first commitment I made in West Africa was in Côte d’Ivoire with the late President Felix Houphouet Boigny, when independence (…) At the outset, the president had requested that I help the economic construction of the country, immediately after independence. Because it was one of its top concerns.

We did so, we have a lot of economic activity here. But the network Aga Khan Development does not work only in the field of economics, it also works in the social and cultural development “.

The Aga Khan is the owner of several industrial units in Côte d’Ivoire, including Filtisac which has existed since 1965. The newest network in Côte d’Ivoire will be launched tomorrow in the presence of the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo and His Highness the Aga Khan. It is a micro finance non-profit. “We are in the micro finance, particularly in Asia since the early eighties. We have a long experience in this field. We see this tool grow a remarkable manner in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is one of the most important tools for reducing poverty, “says Aga Khan, stating that it” is indeed essential to the means necessary in all countries. That is why we will be down to West Africa in a meaningful way. ” - David Ya

Related pictures: 1, 2, 3.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Translated via Google, Source: fratmat.info

Last update: 29 Apr 2008 - 22:39 GMT

The state visit by Prince was marked by a strong commitment to continue the fight against poverty.

The 14th micro-finance agency of the Aga Khan Network (RAK) will be installed in Côte d’Ivoire. Last Tuesday, an agreement setting the “tool of development and fight against poverty” was signed under the co-patronage the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo and His Highness the Aga Khan.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Leon Monnet, representing the Minister of Economy and Finance, and Mr. Jacques Toureille, Director General of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, have initiated the agreement respectively on behalf of Côte d’Ivoire and RAK.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Toureille told the press that the convention that his group has signed with the Ivorian government in Cote d’Ivoire will govern the operations of their institution. It is a fairly standard agreement which is prepared on a model that governs all micro-finance institutions in the sub-region. “This is a standard agreement, but our institution is not a standard. We intend to do something exceptionally important for this country, “he said.

From an initial capital of $ 7 million (about 3.5 billion CFA francs), the first micro-finance agency, RAK in Côte d’Ivoire seeks 250 miles borrowers and depositors 120 miles. This capital could be increased to 20 million dollars (9 billion CFA francs) in 3 or 4 years with a forecast of 1.3 million borrowers and 1 million applicants, “said Jacques Toureille, at a conference he hosted the morning of the signing of the Convention. The International Finance Corporation, the French Cooperation Agency, the European Investment Bank based in Luxembourg and the FMO (Dutch agency on Financing for Development) are the network partners Aga Khan Development (AKDN) in this project . Whose purpose is “to enable the poorest to have access to finance and fight against economic exclusion.” Three essential guidelines based this action: “create institutions perennial in time, because poverty is not something that will disappear overnight; provide services to populations of very large because of the importance of their needs , Including credit, savings and micro insurance in various geographic areas, ie both in rural than in urban areas and seek to have maximum impact by targeting people who are referred. For it is to ensure that services will go to the poorest and will not be diverted to the more affluent populations, “said Jacques Toureille.

The first microfinance agency AKDN in Côte d’Ivoire will open in the northern region where the group is already present in economic activities, especially in cotton. Its main services will be the deposit and credit. Through the credit that is an activity of finance, AKdN “seeks to integrate the customer in the economic environment in the country. This means ensuring that those people who initially are in a precarious situation, changing gradually for a more stable life, a more stable environment both in terms of their economic life and their habitat, access to health care and access to education for their children. ” Will be financed production activities (the purchase of inputs for the development of agriculture, small-scale mechanization (purchase of oxen, ploughs) agriculture to facilitate the work of people, etc; improving l ‘Habitat (construction of additional rooms, latrines, water, etc.. And health with insurance products. There is also leasing to facilitate money transfers and their use in countries Origin of some expatriates for example. Burkina Faso and Mali are the first two countries in the subregion to house a microfinance agency of the AKDN. Ivorian The agency could start its activities next September, said Director General of the Agency. On the night of Tuesday, the Head of State Laurent Gbagbo gave a dinner to His Highness the Aga Khan, during which he commended for all development activities that network deployed in Cote d’Ivoire. “Let me say that we have is a great friend. Historically, since independence, he worked alongside us,” said President Gbagbo.

On the micro finance, the Head of State stressed that it is the most important thing today in Africa. “The father of the micro-finance in India, took the Nobel Prize in economics. And they have done well to give it. Because this is the first time they give the Nobel Prize in economics intelligently. They were assigned to one who has really established a network to give the most needy. As pointed here, His Highness the Aga Khan. “  - David Ya

Related pictures: 1, 2, 3.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Jacques Toureille (L), director general dof PAMF-CI, Aga Khan group in Ivory Coast signs with Ivorian minister of Mine and Energy Leon Monet (R) signs document as Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (up-R) and Prince Aga Khan (up-L) are pictured on April 29, 2008 at presidential palace in Abidjan during signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan

Jacques Toureille (L), director general dof PAMF-CI, Aga Khan group in Ivory Coast shakes hands with Ivorian minister of Mine and Energy Leon Monet (R) as Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (up-R) and Prince Aga Khan (up-L) applaud on April 29, 2008 at presidential palace in Abidjan during signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (R) and Prince Aga Khan are pictured on April 29, 2008 at presidential palace in Abidjan during signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo (L) welcomes Prince Aga Khan on April 29, 2008 at presidential palace in Abidjan ahead of signing of a finance convention for a micro finance agency between Ivorian government and Aga Khan.

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

AKDN/Arnhel de Serra - April 26-28 2008 - In addition to official meetings with President Blaise Compaoré, His Highness the Aga Khan spoke at a special Aga Khan Award for Architecture seminar in Ouagadougou that was held to celebrate three past Burkinabé recipients of the Award.

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april26_akaa_photos.html

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

In addition to official meetings, His Highness was in Cote d’Ivoire to launch the Première Agence de Microfinance (PAMF), which is to start operations in the areas of Boundiali and Dianra in northern Côte d’Ivoire. It joins two sister microfinance institutions, in Mali and Burkina Faso, which were launched in 2006. PAMF will serve disadvantaged communities through a network that is expected to grow to over eight branches by 2012. Loans are primarily intended for income-generating activities, and are designed to improve agricultural productivity, acquire livestock and establish small enterprises in rural and urban areas.

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

AKDN 24 April 2008

Bismillah-hir-Rahmanir-Rahim

Mr President,
Ministers,
Regional Governor,
Mr Mayor,
Village chiefs and dignitaries of Komoguel, Imam of the Mosque
Honoured guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Asalaam-o-aleikum

I am delighted today to be able to inaugurate the newly-restored Great Mosque of Mopti, also known as Komoguel Mosque, and to be able later to visit the various projects currently underway to improve the environment in the historic district of Komoguel.

I should like to extend special thanks to the President of the Republic and the Minister for Territorial Administration and Local Community Affairs for their presence here today and for the support given by the government, regional authorities, the Mayor, Mr Oumar Bathily, the town council, and the Komoguel Local Development Committee to this project.

The significance of this project extends far beyond the physical restoration of the architectural structure of the mosque.

The history of the Ummah has reason to remember the prestige and influence of Mali ’s great mosques. At the height of the empire, in the eighth century, it was from these great seats of learning, these veritable centres of intellectual and spiritual activity, that Islam spread across Africa . It is therefore an immense privilege for me to be able restore these magnificent mosques. Here in Mopti, and in Djenne or Timbuktu, the great tradition of earth building has been revived and the skills acquired can henceforth be put into practice in the construction of all earth buildings, whether intended for religious or secular purposes

The work of revitalising the mosques is gradually being extended to their surrounding neighbourhoods to include all residential accommodation situated in the shadow of the minarets. How wonderfully symbolic it is that the outcome of efforts to restore the mosques should be to improve the quality of life of the people whose lives follow the same rhythm as theirs!

The restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti is the fruit of close collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the National Cultural Heritage Department (DNPC), the regional and local authorities, the Mosque Committee and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and of the dedication of numerous professionals and craftspeople from architects and conservation experts to stone masons, brick-makers, plasterers, metal workers, potters and electricians.

This project has made it possible to combine modern heritage conservation techniques with the processes and materials traditionally employed in the construction of earth buildings. The participation in the project of the few stone masons who still practise banco pourri has meant that more than 30 young people have been trained in this traditional technique, thus ensuring that is handed down to the next generation.

This is especially relevant in Mali where there is a danger that traditional artisans will gradually disappear, taking with them the skills and knowledge accumulated by previous generations of builders. Hence, restoring this important monument has provided the opportunity to perpetuate a tradition and also to ensure the future conservation of built heritage with appropriate techniques, competently applied.

Many other buildings and villages constructed out of earth which may be less visible but are nonetheless significant in the context of the region are awaiting inspection and urgent protection and will require considerable cooperation on the part of national institutions and international organisations. It is encouraging to know that Mali has been selected to host this year’s international Terra conference on earth architecture. In the next few years, the AKTC plans to contribute to this international effort, not only by restoring important buildings but also, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, setting up a national list of earth structures, a move that is becoming increasingly urgent in view of the increasing deterioration of the country’s earth architecture heritage and the dangers it faces.

In parallel to the restoration of the Great Mosque, the Trust has, in collaboration with Mopti’s local community and other AKDN agencies, launched a pilot project to improve the quality of life of people living in the immediate neighbourhoods, by responding to some of their most pressing needs. The AKTC s’ initial commitment is to improve access to water and to an upgraded sewage network and to put in place social development, vocational training and micro-finance projects.

While these environmental management programmes centring on the mosques are designed to ensure that the whole population will benefit from an improved quality of life, the work nevertheless forms part of a more global vision of urban development.

Indeed, my fear is that urban modernisation will lead to an increase in property speculation and the uncontrolled development of tourist infrastructures which will eventually swallow up the mosques within the urban fabric. Sadly, we see that in many large Muslim cities, the minarets of our mosques, those towering symbols of our faith from the top of which the call to prayer rings out, are lost amid blocks of local authority housing, drowned out by the hubbub of the city.

My hope is that the regeneration of the areas around the mosques will mean the preservation and protection of the heritage of our glorious past which deserves our respect and admiration.

And it is our duty as Muslims to contribute to and to encourage this effort, as the Holy Qu’ran reminds us by commanding us to leave the world in a better condition than that in which we received it, and instructing us to help one another in the performance of good works.

Thank you.

http://www.akdn.org/speeches/2008avril24.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

AKDN

24 April 2008

Bismillahh-ir-Rahmanir-Rahim
Minister, General Kafougouna Koné,
Regional Governor, Colonel Mamadou Togola,
Mayor Ould Mahmoud,
Imam ben Essayouti of the Djingareyber Mosque,
Imams of the Sankoré and Sidi Yahya Mosques,
Grand Qadi of Timbuktu,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Asalaam-o-aleikum

Allow me first of all to thank Minister Koné, Mayor Said Ould Mahmoud, and Imam ben Essayouti for their very kind words.

I should also like to express my thanks to the alumni, students and scholars of Timbuktu for presenting me with these honours. I am also grateful to the Governor and citizens of the city for the warm welcome extended to me and my family.

I have precious memories of my last visit to Timbuktu during which you presented me with the title of “Honorary Citizen” which I bear with very great pride. At the same time, I feel extremely humble, since there can be no greater honour than to be accorded citizenship of a city that has always been renowned for its dedication to the quest for knowledge.

Amid such a worthy and learned gathering I am reminded of the verses of the Holy Qur’an in which Allah reminds us that He gives the blessing of wisdom to whoever He wills, but only those with intelligence remember that He has done so.

My most sincere prayer is that I, my fellow citizens of Timbuktu and my brothers and sisters in Islam can continue our journey to bring greater wisdom and understanding to all.

For a thousand years, Timbuktu has been a town noted for its hospitality. Here, the desert and the River Niger converge and travellers arriving from across the Sahara have found a friendly welcome and an environment of knowledge and profound faith, as well as a cosmopolitan culture.

Today, I feel honoured and proud to belong to this town which has made a lasting contribution to the enrichment of Islam and world civilisation, not only through its scholarship but also in its role as a crossroads where rich cultural and commercial exchanges between Africa, Europe and Asia which have taken place.

I am also very happy to accept the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the prestigious University of Sankoré, the African continent’s most ancient higher education institution. Like Djingareyber and Sidi Yahya, this university has been the alma mater of the town’s 180 Qu’ranic schools and the birthplace of the many scholarly works which became uniquely influential in Africa during the Middle Ages. The sum of all that knowledge has been preserved in the richly-stocked libraries of Timbuktu which house thousands of manuscripts, most of them written by scholars born in the town. This tradition of learning and the transmission of knowledge is at the heart of Islam and the practice of the faith.

I am delighted to receive this degree in such a prestigious centre of Islamic erudition, facing the historic Djingareyber Mosque built in the 14th century in the reign of Emperor Mansa Kankou Moussa by the architect Abu Ishaq as-Saheli.

This mosque is the oldest and most typical example of a unique style of earth architecture developed in the very earliest years of Islam in West Africa and which survives to this day. Today, however, the process of rapid change means that the region is threatened with the loss of technical expertise and the disappearance of the traditional banco technique. That is why the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Mali’s Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the mosque’s governing body, have launched this heritage conservation programme with the aim of reviving traditional construction techniques, improving the state of preservation of the buildings, and ensuring their long-term maintenance so that they can be passed on to future generations.

I shall always remember this honorary doctorate as proof of the harmony between intellect and faith which is Islam’s blessing to Muslims.

Thank you.

http://www.akdn.org/speeches/2008avril24_tombouctou_en.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

AKDN / Photo credit Gary Otte - April 28, 2008, His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Côte d’Ivoire, formerly known as Ivory Coast. Ferid Nandjee, AKDN Resident Representative and Youssouf Bakayoko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, were present during the arrival at the Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport in in the city of Abidjan.

The renditions of the Nashid-al-Imamah and the national anthem of Ivory Coast were played on upon His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan’s arrival. His Highness later answered questions from the media upon arrival in Abidjan.

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april28_arrival.html

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

AKDN/Photo credit Arnhel De Serra - April 26 2008, His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Burkina Faso for official meetings with the Prime Minister Tertius Zongo.  Upon his arrival, the Nashid al-Imamah and the Burkina Faso National Anthem were played on.

His Highness the Aga Khan also met with the press at the arrival. He later met with the President of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore at the Presidential Palace.

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april26_photos.html

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

April 25, 2008 - AKDN / Photo credit: Gary Otte - His Highness the Aga Khan and President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali reviewed a model and tapestry work being undertaken as part of the development of the Bamako Park.  His Highness was visiting with Luis Monreal, Director General of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.  His Highness the Aga Khan then addressed the guests at the Inauguration of the Bamako Park.

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april25_photos.html

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Translated via Google: Source, Burkina Faso Government

His Highness, Prince Karim Aga Khan, the 49th Imam of the Ismailis, who arrived in Ouagadougou on April 26, 2008 in late morning, was received in audience in the afternoon by Prime Minister Tertius Zongo in his cabinet. During their talks, they exchanged on areas of intervention by the Aga Khan Development Network in Burkina Faso. These interventions as numerous and varied affect mainly the field of economic development, including air transport, industry, micro finance.

After the hearing, Prince Karim Aga Khan and his delegation held a working meeting with a delegation of 5 government ministers, led by the Prime Minister. At the end of work, His Highness has lent questions from the press on the subject of the meeting. He stressed that the two delegations reviewed all projects in Burkina group, both those who are running as those that require actions to enable them to move forward.

The two delegations also exchanged files on micro-credits. For the Prince Aga Khan this issue micro-finance is important, mainly for all African countries where it is necessary to expand the product offering and raise more funds. The development of Air Burkina, industrial development and many other development issues were discussed by the two delegations. After the meeting, Prince Aga Khan expressed satisfaction with the implementation of projects in Burkina Faso.

http://www.primature.gov.bf/

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

Slideshow at the source: AKDN

http://www.akdn.org/news/2008april23_mali.htm

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa

AKDN / Gary Otte: President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali and the Mayor of Mopti, the Imam of the Komoguel I Mosque, receives His Highness the Aga Khan for the ceremony at the Mosque.  President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali thanked His Highness the Aga Khan for the work undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in restoring the mosque.  His Highness the Aga Khan later addressed the guests at the Inauguration Ceremony while Prince Hussain, Princess Khaliya and Prince Rahim were also present.

Source AKDN

Golden Jubilee visit to West Africa