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Emirates supports early education with a donation of 464 ‘Aircrafted KIDS by Emirates’ special edition bags in Zambia

• Backpacks made from upcycled aircraft materials and stationery essentials were distributed to Kucetekela Foundation and Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE)

Lusaka, Zambia, 10 February, 2025 – 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.
 
Omar Bushlaibi, Country Manager, Zambia, Emirates, said: “Education, much like travel, broadens the mind and brings immeasurable value to society at large, providing the next generation with the essential tools to build a better future. Celebrating the values we share with ACE Zambia and Kucetekela Foundation, we wanted to support by providing school supplies and a little piece of Emirates’ history, in the form of upcycled backpacks. We have been committed to Zambia since our first flight in 2012, and we remain committed, not just to scaling our operations but to enriching the surrounding communities too.”
 
To ensure the organisations recieved 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.
 
Simasiku Mukena, General Manager at Kucetekela Foundation said, “Emirates donated a total of 84 bags and the organisation is very thrilled. There were a lot of smiles on the kid’s faces and we really appreciate the donation. It was a very generous gesture that will profoundly impact our organisation.”
 
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.
 
Elarm Chalusa Head Teacher for Jana Secondary School under the Alliance for Children Everywhere said: “We are a very small school, but Emirates brought such a wonderful gift that will go a very long way in the lives of the children. One of the things that we strive for is to improve reading ability and embed reading culture in our children – Emirates brought plenty of literature for our learners, which they are thrilled and excited to read.”
 
The Emirates team based in Lusaka visited both Kucetekela Foundation and ACE Zambia, to deliver the 464 bags and meet Zambia’s leaders of tomorrow.  
 
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.
 
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About Emirates
The Emirates story started in 1985 when we launched operations with just two aircraft. Today, we fly the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, offering our customers the comforts of the latest and most efficient wide-body aircraft in the skies.
We inspire travellers around the world with our growing network of worldwide destinations, industry leading inflight entertainment, regionally inspired cuisine, and world-class service.
For more information see www.emirates.com/zm

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