Several years ago, I visited Aga Khan Foundation Canada’s development programs in Cabo Delgado, one of the poorest regions of Mozambique. There, I met an inspiring young man named Bacar—an ordinary person doing extraordinary things.
Bacar shared his powerful personal story with me. Just a few years previously, he struggled to earn a living; today, he has four thriving businesses.
Bacar’s entrepreneurial journey began in a community workshop—part of an AKFC-supported initiative to improve food security, nutrition, and incomes in Cabo Delgado. The workshop focused on the high nutritional value of the leaves of the fast-growing, drought-resistant Moringa tree. Bacar saw an opportunity.
He planted his first Moringa trees and began selling the leaves. His business grew as quickly as his trees, even attracting the attention of the President of Mozambique. When the local Aga Khan Foundation field officer brought him to meet Bacar, the President was so impressed that he promised to help Bacar build a mill to process the leaves.
With the mill enabling him to increase production, Bacar decided to build more demand for Moringa leaves: first opening a cooking school, then a restaurant, and finally a retail kiosk. Four thriving enterprises that all began with a small nutrition workshop that sparked Bacar’s entrepreneurial spirit. Empowering women and men to unlock their potential to build a better future: that’s how development happens!
Stories like Bacar’s inspire me to get up every morning and support the fight against global poverty. As Canadians, we all want to contribute to a more peaceful, prosperous and equal world. For Canada’s 150th anniversary, what better way to celebrate than by empowering more individuals like Bacar to build brighter futures? We can provide the spark together. Join me and thousands of other Canadians at AKFC’s 2017 World Partnership Walk.
Learn more and
register today!Shakeel Bharmal, Chief Operating OfficerAga Khan Foundation Canada 
