News

Hong Kong, 12 December 2019 ── Cathay Pacific Airways and the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) today announced that “Change for Good”, the airline’s inflight fundraising programme, raised a total of HK$9.55 million over the 2018 programme period. The money was raised by collecting spare change in many different currencies from travellers on Cathay Pacific flights.

Supported by Cathay Pacific, Change for Good has successfully transformed the donations into a fund that safeguards vulnerable children and gives unwavering support for initiatives worldwide to improve children’s living conditions in more than 190 developing countries and territories since its inception 1991.

Cathay Pacific Director Customer Mr Simon Large said, “We greatly appreciate the generosity of our passengers and the efforts of our staff in supporting Change for Good over the years. Thanks to their kindness, the programme has raised an incredible HK$193 million by the end of 2018. Cathay Pacific firmly believes in the power of collaborative efforts to affect positive. As such, we are encouraged to see these donations have transformed into practical actions that are helping to make the world a better place.”

In thanking Cathay Pacific, UNICEF HK Chief Executive Mr Lambert Chan noted, “We are very grateful for Cathay Pacific’s continued trust and support. With the carrier’s powerful backing, the proverb ‘many a mickle makes a muckle’ becomes a reality. Change for Good has helped millions of deprived children living in developing countries, and we look forward to Cathay Pacific’s continued support of UNICEF’s global work, so that we can ing hope to more children.”

Delivering quality education in child-friendly learning spaces

One-third of the total Change for Good donation in 2018 will be used to support UNICEF’s Schools for Asia. The initiative helps children to return to school and receive uninterrupted education where they can have a fairer and better start in life.

In June 2019, 10 Cathay Pacific employees, together with UNICEF HK staff, made a field visit to Guizhou, China. The volunteer team gained firsthand knowledge of how Schools for Asia donations helped improve school facilities, and witnessed how it helped ethnic minority kids between the ages of three and six receive quality early childhood education. For example, the donations were used to build a child-friendly learning environment for the healthy development of children. Both the students and parents agreed that the donations have made a positive difference in local education.

The remaining funds raised in 2018 will go towards regular UNICEF programmes in support of children around the world. These programmes cover health, education, child protection, nutrition, social inclusion, water, sanitation and hygiene, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

In addition, an average of one month’s proceeds from Change for Good will be allocated to the Cathay Pacific Wheelchair Bank. Established in 1996, the Wheelchair Bank aims to improve the mobility of children suffering from severe neuromuscular diseases in Hong Kong.