SilkAir and Friends Friends-International Work Together to Build Futures for Asian Street Children
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 to raise awareness of Friends-International’s activities, SilkAir will also highlight the NGO’s work and the children’s life stories in its inflight magazine and internal newsletter. 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 work together to build futures and bring big smiles to the faces of street children and youth, across Asia and beyond.
About SilkAir
As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir extends the SIA Group’s footprint in Asia by offering connections from Singapore to various points in the region. The airline’s route network covers 29 destinations across 11 countries. SilkAir operates a fleet of 15 Airbus A320 family aircraft; with 11 more of the same type on firm order and options for a further nine.
About Friends-International – Together, building futures.
Based in Cambodia, Friends-International has been assisting marginalized and vulnerable children and youth across the world since 1994. Friends-International runs and supports projects for these children and their families in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Myanmar and Egypt.
Friends-International’s work addresses social issues with innovation and creativity. It does this by listening to and being guided by those who matter the most – the children and youth.
Friends-International and its partners reach out to over 500, 000 marginalized young people – particularly street children and youth – each year. Friends-International offers a range of comprehensive services as part of a holistic approach to assisting children and their families to improve their lives.
