CSR: Emirates Donates 'Aircrafted Bags' to School Children in Zambia

Education is one of the greatest engines for societal development, laying a strong foundation for economic empowerment, however adequate access to resources is an ongoing barrier for children and young people.

To help address this, Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has donated essential supplies and limited-edition, handcrafted backpacks from its ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ collection to two non-profit organisations in Zambia. 

Kucetekela Foundation and Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Zambia serve local communities by creating a nurturing and inspirational space for financially disadvantaged youths to continue their education.

With a longstanding legacy of supporting youth, and a particular focus on education, Emirates aims to support both organisations’ students with their schooling by providing practical, stylish backpacks and stationery. 

The initiative reinforces the airline’s commitment to ‘connecting communities’ by building enduring relationships and making meaningful differences in the destinations it serves. 

To ensure the organisations received exactly what they needed for each and every student, Kucetekela Foundation and ACE Zambia placed an order for a variety of bags 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 777 aircraft. 

In addition to the bags, Emirates provided school supplies such as pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, notebooks and more. The airline also purchased books from local authors via Kulanda House and from Aliness Phiri, which blend culturally rich stories with interactive learning opportunities. The books can be swapped and discussed amongst the students, further developing their understanding of the material.

Through the Emirates Airline Foundation, Emirates has a long history of supporting children’s welfare programmes, and ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ is an extension of this work. In total, more than 50,000 kg of materials from 191 aircraft slated to undergo the airline’s interior cabin retrofit programme are expected to be recovered and repurposed.

In addition to the donations made in Zambia, Emirates provided organisations in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia with bags, bringing the total donation to 1,239 in Africa alone, with more to follow in Asia in the coming months.