The Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, AKU-SONAM, has recently initiated a work-study programme under its Foundations for Health and Empowerment, F4HE project, for nurses and midwives of Kyrgyzstan with the support of AKF, Kyrgyzstan. This is a three-month training being offered in-person at AKU-SONAM, Karachi, to build nursing and midwifery care and education capacity of professionals from Central Asia.
The Foundation for Health and Empowerment, F4HE, is a five-year pro
ject funded by Global Affairs Canada, GAC, through the Aga Khan Foundation, AKF, which is being implemented in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, to create pathways to improve the health and well-being of women, adolescents, families, and communities.
A meeting was recently hosted by Dr Anjum Halai, Vice Provost (Asia & UK), AKU, and the Outreach office at AKU-SONAM to welcome the Kyrgyz participants who shared that the training is adding value to their knowledge and skill-set.
During the meeting, Dr Halai interacted with the participants and appreciated their commitment to ongoing learning. “Regional level collaborations especially in terms of training and exchange of knowledge serve as an example of pluralism and cultural immersion that’s one of the key values at AKU. I’m so pleased to meet such an enthusiastic group of nurses and midwives from Kyrgyzstan and I’m sure they will apply their learning to improve the healthcare access for women, adolescents, and children in their country.”
The participants also expressed their gratitude to the trainers from the SONAM faculty for their dedication and use of impactful teaching methodologies to get the message across. Thoroughly enjoying the educational activities and excursions at AKU and in Karachi, the participants are also honing their English language communication skills as they experience Pakistan’s culture.
Last month, members of the AKU Board of Trustees Mr Amin Mawji, Mr Mohamed Othman, Mr Zakir Mehmood, and Mr Badruddin Vellani accompanied by Dr Rozina Karmaliani, Dean AKU-SONAM, met the trainees while encouraging the efforts of the Outreach office to initiate multilateral training opportunities in the region.