Education is one of the greatest engines for societal development, laying a strong foundation for economic empowerment. To support Bangladesh’s initiatives of making education accessible to its children, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has donated essential supplies and limited-edition, handcrafted backpacks from its ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ collection to three non-profit organisations in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is making reforms in its education system, continuously improving its infrastructure and resources to provide equal opportunities to children across the country. To support their efforts in rolling out access to education for underprivileged children, Emirates assisted the students of Kanan, Thikana (Shelter Home), and Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari with their schooling by providing 187 practical, stylish backpacks filled with stationery, and learning supplies.
These organizations were selected carefully as they serve local communities by creating a nurturing and inspirational space for disadvantaged youths to continue their education in safe environments. The institutes have a longstanding legacy of supporting youth and a particular focus on education. The initiative reinforces the airline’s commitment to ‘connecting communities’ by building enduring relationships and making meaningful differences in the destinations it serves.
Mansoor Alsuwaidi, Airport Services Manager, Bangladesh for Emirates, said: “At Emirates we are committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 to ensure every child has access to quality education and gets a chance to learn, thrive and unluck their full potential. We are delighted to collaborate with organizations such as Kanan, Thikana (Shelter Home), and Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari which are dedicated to uplifting lives of underprivileged communities by providing them basic necessities and shelter. With these Aircrafted bags we provided essential educational supplies and stationery that will greatly benefit the students’ learning experiences. We hope these resources will enable them to learn, grow, and build brighter futures.
“The Aircrafted bags we donated are made from upcycled materials, helping to teach children the importance of sustainability. Each bag is designed based on thorough research into children’s styles and needs, empowering them with comfort and confidence. Through these bags, we proudly share a piece of our history with children across Bangladesh.”
Md.Shajedul Qayyum Dulal, Executive Director, Dhaka Ahsania Mission parent NGO of Kanan, Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari and Thikana (Shelter Home) said: “We are grateful to Emirates for their donation. Their commitment to investing in our community’s future propels our mission to elevate the lives of underprivileged children. Our students are excited to be a part of the Aircrafted program and receive these unique bags which will not only benefit them in their day-to-day life but will inspire them to aim higher.”
To ensure the organisations received exactly what they needed for each and every student, the three organizations handpicked the specific bags they required from the ‘Aircrafted by Emirates’ collection, accounting for children of all ages. The backpacks were then handmade by Emirates Engineering in-house, with materials upcycled from the airline’s iconic A380 and B777 aircraft that underwent refurbishments.
In addition to the bags, Emirates provided school supplies such as pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, notebooks, water bottles, lunchboxes and more. The airline also purchased books from local authors, blending culturally rich stories with interactive learning opportunities. The books can be swapped and discussed amongst the students, further developing their understanding of the material.
Under the Aircrafted program more than 50,000 kg of materials from 191 aircrafts slated to undergo the airline’s interior cabin retrofit programme are expected to be recovered and repurposed. In addition to the donations made in Bangladesh, Emirates provided organisations in Pakistan and India with bags, bringing the total donation to 700 in Asia alone after donating 1,239 in Africa in the previous months.
