Around
the World
with AKF
Annual Report 2020
Fundraising goes digital with the Virtual Voyage
In the fall of 2020, AKF USA launched the first-ever Virtual Voyage: Around the World with AKF. This digital journey allowed AKF donors to explore the impact of their support in AKF partner communities, while staying connected to the AKF community.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced AKF USA to cancel in-person events for the first time in our history. Despite the pandemic’s effects in the United States, AKF supporters were eager to find a safe way to gather and raise funds to support AKF’s work in Asia and Africa.
Sunny Taj, a long-time volunteer from Houston, Texas, explained, “In the US, we were battling toilet paper shortages, but in the countries AKF works in, they needed clean water. Even a little bit from us goes a long way for these communities.”
“It was nice to see familiar faces. And it was great to see how big the AKF family is in both the U.S. and Canada. That’s the beauty of being involved with AKF. I’m part of something that gives me an opportunity to give back globally.”
Around
the World
with AKF
Annual Report 2020
Fundraising goes digital with the Virtual Voyage
In the fall of 2020, AKF USA launched the first-ever Virtual Voyage: Around the World with AKF. This digital journey allowed AKF donors to explore the impact of their support in AKF partner communities, while staying connected to the AKF community.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced AKF USA to cancel in-person events for the first time in our history. Despite the pandemic’s effects in the United States, AKF supporters were eager to find a safe way to gather and raise funds to support AKF’s work in Asia and Africa.
Sunny Taj, a long-time volunteer from Houston, Texas, explained, “In the US, we were battling toilet paper shortages, but in the countries AKF works in, they needed clean water. Even a little bit from us goes a long way for these communities.”
“It was nice to see familiar faces. And it was great to see how big the AKF family is in both the U.S. and Canada. That’s the beauty of being involved with AKF. I’m part of something that gives me an opportunity to give back globally.”
AKF USA teamed up with AKF Canada to develop the Virtual Voyage as a way to take North American supporters on a digital trip around the world. During November and December 2020, Voyage participants had a chance to hear from AKF and Aga Khan Development Network staff in Kenya, India, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan about how communities were affected by COVID-19, and how the AKDN was responding to meet needs arising from the pandemic.
Each country stop also included a feature story about AKF’s work, from mobile clinics bringing medical care to rural communities in Kenya to making sure that women and marginalized groups have clean water and sanitation access in India.
Working together with more than 150 volunteers across the United States, AKF USA’s Virtual Voyage campaign connected with over 4,500 donors and 48 corporate sponsors. In Houston and Dallas, volunteers recorded segments at local radio stations to share AKF’s mission and invite the community to join the Virtual Voyage.
The Virtual Voyage campaign raised more than $6.5 million in the U.S. in support of AKF’s mission to improve the quality of life across Asia and Africa.
On December 6, the Virtual Voyage concluded with the Homecoming Celebration, a virtual event that gathered together supporters across North America to reflect on the Voyage, see more stories of AKF’s work, and celebrate our collective impact. Sunny and his fellow AKF volunteers also collected videos of supporters sharing greetings to play during the Homecoming.
“It was nice to see familiar faces,” Sunny said. “And it was great to see how big the AKF family is in both the U.S. and Canada.”
The Virtual Voyage campaign raised more than $6.5 million in the U.S. in support of AKF’s mission to improve the quality of life across Asia and Africa.
“That’s the beauty of being involved with AKF,” Sunny shared. “I’m part of something that gives me an opportunity to give back globally.”
