The American Express Foundation (AEF) announced a grant of $25,000 to United Way International to support the Shigar Port, a project of the Aga Khan Cultural Service, Pakistan. Nadeem Karamat of the American Express handed over a cheque of $425,000 to Akbarali Pesnani, Chairman, Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCS,P) at a function held here on December 4.
American Express has selected restoration and adaptive re-use of the 400-year-old Shigar Port for funding support as an outstanding example of heritage activity.
The Shigar Port project spread over from 1999 to 2005 is meant to restore over 400-year-old fort and a complex of buildings and space adjoining it. It is half an hour by paved road from Skardu on the route to four 8,000-meter peaks in the mighty Karakoram Range.
The beneficiaries include the 15,000 strong community of Shigar directly and Baltistan with a population of 300,000 as well as the Northern Areas indirectly. Formal inauguration is expected in 2005.
United Way International is a global network of non-profit organisations operating in 45 countries. It also operates a donor-advised fund to facilitate international grants.
The Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCS,P) is engaged in conservation of cultural heritage and social development in Northern Areas of Pakistan since 1992.
The AKCS,P is a service company of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, a private, non-denominational, philanthropic foundation that is an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a family of institutions created by His Highness the Agha Khan.-PR
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