Emirates has donated 464 special edition backpacks and school supplies to two non-profit organizations in Zambia. The recipients, Kucetekela Foundation and Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Zambia, work with local communities to support the education of financially disadvantaged youths.
The airline provided the organizations with handcrafted backpacks from its ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ collection. These bags are made from upcycled materials from Emirates’ A380 and 777 aircraft. “Education, much like travel, broadens the mind and brings immeasurable value to society at large,” said Omar Bushlaibi, Country Manager for Emirates in Zambia. He added that they wanted to support these organizations by providing school supplies along with a piece of Emirates’ history.
Kucetekela Foundation received 84 bags. Simasiku Mukena, General Manager at the foundation, expressed gratitude: “There were a lot of smiles on the kid’s faces and we really appreciate the donation.” Meanwhile, Elarm Chalusa, Head Teacher at Jana Secondary School under ACE Zambia, noted that “Emirates brought such a wonderful gift that will go a very long way in the lives of the children.”
In addition to backpacks, Emirates also supplied stationery essentials including pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, and notebooks. They purchased books from local authors through Kulanda House and Aliness Phiri to enhance reading skills among students.
The initiative is part of Emirates’ commitment to ‘connecting communities,’ aiming to make meaningful differences in its destinations since beginning operations in Zambia in 2012.
