National carrier and Pride of Africa Kenya Airways announced the support of a school of children with special needs by building a dining hall for them as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

The school, located in Chuka, Eastern Kenya, is known as the Ikuu Special School for autistic and mentally handicapped children.

Speaking while making the official hand over of the dining hall, Kenya Airways Commercial Director, Mohan Chandra said that the airline had built the hall following a request by the administration and on Kenya Airways seeing the need to assist the school.

“This investment to the community targets to ensure that pupils and teachers access better learning and teaching facilities in a conducive school environment,” said Mr. Chandra.

He explained that population of the children had increased sharply over the years, outstripping the existing dining facilities, yet the children needed to take their meals in a clean decent environment.

“At Kenya Airways we believe in sustainable living and have a strong sense of corporate social responsibility that is why we endeavour to lend a helping hand whenever we can,” he added.

The Ikuu School is a home to 119 mentally handicapped and autistic children; the school was started in 1996 to cater for the growing number of autism related cases in the community.

During the occasion, the children demonstrated that disability is not inability by entertaining the guests with poems, songs and dance. Among them was Arnold Mugendi who won a gold medal during the Beijing Olympics in 2008 in the physically challenged category.

Kenya Airways offers support to communities in countries that it operates; namely in the areas of education, environment, water and health as part of its contribution to the sustainable development of its destinations.

The airline flies to 53 destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.