Today's Edition
SAMIHAH ZAMAN (ABU DHABI)
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has praised the 'Aircrafted Kids by Emirates' initiative, which is providing essential school supplies, including backpacks made from upcycled aircraft interiors, to young students across Africa.
Taking to X.com, His Highness posted, "Beautiful initiative. Well done @emirates," alongside a video shared by Emirates about the initiative.
In support of children's education, 'Aircrafted Kids by Emirates', which is being organised in collaboration with six other entities in Africa, is providing 1,300 handmade backpacks and essential stationery supplies to students.
Each schoolbag is made from the fabrics and parts of Emirates’ aircraft, echoing the UAE's focus on sustainability and responsible consumption. According to Emirates, a total of 50,000 kilograms of material from 205 aircraft have been repurposed to make the schoolbags. Inside the bags, Emirates provides school supplies such as stationary, calculators and essentials, as well as books from local authors that blend culturally rich stories with interactive learning opportunities.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, reposted His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's words on x.com, adding, "Inspired by your vision, @HHShkMohd, we’ve learnt that true innovation lies in initiatives that serve others. ‘Aircrafted Kids’ is a reflection of that spirit, made possible by the dedicated and passionate team at @emirates."
The distribution of the bags and supplies across Africa kickstarts a larger initiative by Emirates to repurpose and upcycle materials for the benefit of children across the globe.
In Zimbabwe, Emirates collaborated with St Marcellin's Children’s Village Trust and Rose of Sharon, two not-for-profit entities that care for vulnerable children and provide a nurturing and inspirational space for children’s education. In Zambia, Emirates partnered with the Kucetekela Foundation, supporting academically promising, financially disadvantaged children, and the Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Zambia, which protects families and vulnerable children and strengthens communities through economic empowerment and education. In Ethiopia, Emirates worked with Bravehearts Ethiopia, an NGO devoted to empowering vulnerable children with a focus on quality education, and also with Roots Ethiopia, which focuses on supporting several aspects of children’s education, specifically in rural areas. Through the Emirates Airline Foundation, Emirates has a long history of supporting children’s welfare programmes, and Aircrafted Kids is an extension of this work.
The initiative will soon extend to other countries, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
