Emirates’ 187 special edition bags for unprivileged children in Bangladesh

To support Bangladesh's initiatives of making education accessible to its children, Emirates has donated essential supplies and limited-edition, handcrafted backpacks from its 'Aircraft by Emirates' collection to three non-profit organisations in Bangladesh. 

To support Bangladesh's efforts in rolling out access to education for underprivileged children, Emirates assisted the students of Kanan, a centre for abandoned children and destitute women in Dhak, Thikana (Shelter Home) in Jashore, and Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari in Panchagar with their schooling by providing 187 practical, stylish backpacks filled with stationery, and learning supplies. 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 unlock their full potential.  We are delighted to collaborate with organisations such as Kanan, Thikana (Shelter Home), and Ahsania Mission Shishu Nagari, which are dedicated to uplifting the lives of underprivileged communities by providing them with necessities and shelter. These Aircrafted bags provided essential educational supplies and stationery to benefit students' learning experiences greatly."

"The Aircrafted bags are made from upcycled materials, helping to teach children the importance of sustainability. Through these bags, we proudly share our history with children across Bangladesh."
Md.Shajedul Qayyum Dulal, Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, the 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 aircraft program and receive these unique bags, which will benefit them in their day-to-day lives and inspire them to aim higher."

Emirates' collection accounts for children of all ages. The backpacks were 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, lunch boxes and more. The airline also purchased books from local authors, blending culturally rich stories with interactive learning opportunities. 

Under the Aircraft programme, 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 Bangladesh, the 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.