British Airways ensures a flying start for vulnerable children

Today is National Children’s Day, in recognition of the plight of South African children and to highlight efforts aimed at alleviating the burdens faced by them.

The 2016 State of the South African Child report, by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, shows that in addition to extreme levels of violence committed against children, an estimated 87 000 children lived in child-headed households – usually as a result of both parents having succumbed to Aids-related illnesses.

To play their part in assisting vulnerable children, British Airways has teamed up with local NGO Mothers2Mothers to help some of these children thrive.

As part of its centenary year activity, the airline is donating R100 000 to help kick-start the campaign, and has encouraged its colleagues, franchise partners, and the South African public to participate in the campaign.

“In our centenary year there seemed no better gift than to give a flying start to children who otherwise may have had to do without even the most basic educational toys,” said Sue

Petrie, British Airways trade commercial manager in South Africa, in a statement.

Outside of the Flying Start campaign, British Airways has invested R19 million to support Mothers2Mothers in expanding their early childhood development programmes into two new sites in Pretoria and to launch their work in a new country.

If you or your company would like to contribute and help change the life of a little boy or girl, you can visit www. givengain.com/cc/BAsupportsm2m.

Your donations will help provide learning-oriented toys to support children who are part of Mothers2Mothers’ early childhood development programmes. – Hayden Horner