Etihad Airways helps in Sri Lankan education and health initiative
View(s):Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has donated more than UAE dirhams 100,000 to underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka.
Picture shows Adil Al Mulla, Vice President Procurement and Supply Management, Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President of Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Hub and crew with students at Maha Vidyalaya School in Alankuda.
A delegation from Etihad Airways visited Sri Lanka last week to present the donation, raised through a series of charitable initiatives in Abu Dhabi, the airline said in a statement.
Abdul Hamid Abdul Fattah Al Mulla, UAE Ambassador to Sri Lanka joined the Etihad Airways’ delegation headed by Khaled Al Mehairbi, Senior Vice President of Government and Aero-political Affairs. The delegation also included Ali Al Shamsi, Vice President of Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Hub, Adil Al Mulla Vice President Procurement and Supply Management, Dr Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services and Kumar De Silva, Etihad Airways’ General Manager in Sri Lanka, along with the airline’s Colombo-based staff.
The two-day programme included the official opening of the Maha Vidyalaya School in Alankuda which was fully rebuilt with funds raised by the Abu Dhabi based airline. The school has 1,500 students who received care packages with school bags, stationery, shirts, blankets, dates, and clothes from Etihad.
Khaled Al Mehairbi, who also serves as Chairman of Etihad Airways’ Sports and Social Committee, said: “We are extremely proud to play a part in helping these students pursue their studies and hope that our visit will help raise awareness of global education, and at the same time celebrate our 11 years of operations in Sri Lanka”.
The visit also included the official launch of a new women’s clinic at the District Kalpitiya Hospital in Puttalam, which was funded by Etihad Airways.
The airline’s Guest Services team donated UAE Dirhams 50,000 raised through various charitable initiatives and activities during 2014. Blankets were also distributed to in-house patients.
The delegation concluded its trip with a visit to St Joseph Orphanage in Colombo where more than 500 children received care packages made up of blankets, clothes and toys.