The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme: A Journey Through Grassroots Development

The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme relates the story of participatory development experience in the rural areas of South Asia. The lessons learned in rural development, based on the author's work over the last fifty years in various areas of South Asia, are narrated in the context of "working within the system and living within the means".

The basic principles of rural development are described through the process of engaging rural men and women to shape their lives. Operational details of interaction between communities and professionals are combined with inspirational content on the efforts of these people to ignite hope and offer guidelines for changing the lives of the teeming millions by mobilizing their own potential. The book also provides insights into the Aga Khan Rural Suport Programme, an ambitious and successful sustainable development programme that was initiated by Shoaib Sultan at the behest of the Aga Khan, a patron with long term commitment to sustainable development.

The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme is a valuable addition to the knowledge on people-centered development and evidence-based advocacy for policy change conducive to sustainable development. It will interest both the professional and general reader interested in poverty alleviation and rural development.