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20 February 2009
SILKAIR AND FRIENDS-INTERNATIONAL WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD FUTURES FOR ASIAN STREET CHILDREN
In conjunction with its 20th anniversary celebrations, SilkAir is proud to announce the adoption of Friends-International, an award-winning Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which focuses on reducing the number of street children across Asia and beyond, as its official charity.
Sharing Friends-International’s vision to give children access to education, SilkAir will offer two children from the NGO’s vibrant Phnom Penh headquarters SilkAir Scholarships to study English at the Australian Centre for Education in the Cambodian capital.
“We are honoured and thrilled to be able to work with an acclaimed NGO like Friends-International. We share Friends-International’s principle of not only protecting the children but also nurturing them to give them a strong sense of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. Working hand-in-hand, we look forward to playing an active role in improving the welfare of street children across Asia,” said Mr. Chin Yau Seng, SilkAir’s Chief Executive.
He added, “Especially during these challenging times, we want to reach out to the communities we serve in the region and let them know that they have a friend in SilkAir.” Mr. Sebastien Marot, Friends-International’s Executive Director and Founder commented, ”This is a very exciting partnership for Friends-International. The support of SilkAir will go a long way in helping us build the futures of the children and youth we work with.”
SilkAir will adopt Friends-International for three years during which the Airline will offer a range of support to the NGO, including heavily discounted tickets for Friends-International’s staff for work-related travel between Phnom Penh and points in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand. In addition, free cargo allowance will be extended for the transportation of Friends-International’s merchandise, like cookbooks and accessories handmade by the children’s families. This will assist Friends-International by reducing some of its operating costs and increasing the income for its projects for marginalized children.
To help raise awareness of Friends-International’s activities, SilkAir will highlight the NGO’s work and projects in Silkwinds, the Airline’s inflight magazine and SPIRIT, its internal newsletter. In addition, SilkAir will feature “What I See When I Close My Eyes”, an award-winning documentary about the children supported by Friends-International, on its drop-screens on board in the coming months. Fund-raising activities will also be conducted by the Airline’s staff for the benefit of the children.
SilkAir and Friends-International are fully committed to working together to build futures and bring smiles to the faces of street children and youth, across Asia and beyond.
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