Emirates Supports Early Education With A Donation Of 107 ‘Aircrafted KIDS By Emirates’ Special Edition Bags In Lahore

Emirates Supports Kids’ Education in Lahore

Education serves as a powerful catalyst for societal growth and provides a solid basis for economic advancement. To support Pakistan’s efforts to ensure that all children have access to education, Emirates has contributed vital supplies and exclusive, handcrafted backpacks from its ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ collection to a non-profit organization in Pakistan. 

To aid in extending educational access to children in rural areas, Emirates supported the students of SOS Children’s Villages by donating 107 backpacks filled with stationery, books, and hygiene items. The NGO was carefully chosen for its commitment to local communities, providing a nurturing and inspiring environment for financially disadvantaged youth to pursue their education. With a longstanding reputation for supporting young people, the institute places a special emphasis on education. This initiative highlights the airline's dedication to 'connecting communities' by fostering lasting relationships and creating meaningful impacts in the locations it serves. 

Mohammed Alhashmi, Vice President, Pakistan for Emirates said: “We are pleased to collaborate with organizations such as SOS Village that share our commitment to advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 4  to ensure every child has access to quality education and gets a chance to learn, thrive and unlock their full potential. With 17 branches across Pakistan, SOS Children’s Villages has a wide network in the country. They have been carefully selected for their dedicated work in providing abandoned or orphaned children with a safe and stable home where they can pursue their education.

“Donating the Aircrafted KIDS bags made with recycled materials and filled with essential stationary, learning and hygiene items will equip children with confidence and tools to make their everyday learning journey easier. We take pride in sharing our upcycled bags as this initiative not only promotes sustainability but also connects children in Pakistan with a piece of our history."

Saba Faisal, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan, said: “It was a pleasure to host the Emirates team, and we would like to thank them for supporting the educational development of our children, who come from vulnerable backgrounds yet possess immense potential to achieve success and positively contribute to society. We are grateful for companies such as Emirates for their contribution towards the wellbeing of our students and impact them in such a positive way. It was a delight for our children to meet the Emirates team, receive the bags, and create happy memories they will cherish forever."

To guarantee the NGO received precisely what each student needed, SOS Children’s Villages selected specific bags from the ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ collection, considering children of varying ages. Emirates Engineering then handcrafted the backpacks in-house, using materials upcycled from the airline’s renowned A380 and B777 refurbished aircraft. 

Alongside the bags, Emirates supplied school and hygiene items including pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, notebooks, hand sanitizers, soaps, and toothpastes. Additionally, the airline acquired books that combine culturally significant stories with interactive learning experiences. These books can be exchanged and discussed by students, enhancing their comprehension of the subject matter.

Through the Aircrafted program, over 50,000 kg of materials from 191 aircraft scheduled for the airline's interior cabin retrofit will be recovered and repurposed. Besides the contributions in Pakistan, Emirates also supplied organizations in Bangladesh and India with bags, raising the total donations in Asia to 700, following 1,239 donations made in Africa in prior months.