Ashgabat, 1 June 2024 – On International Children’s Day UNICEF and Turkmenistan Airlines brought children up close with the aviation industry in a special event to show that when it comes to professions “sky is the limit”. Children from the Palace of Orphans named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, familiarized with the aviation industry and received a firsthand experience of various professions within this exciting field. This initiative is part of UNICEF’s ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Education to introduce children from all contexts to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions.
The celebrations included a tour of the Ashgabat airport terminal, followed by an excursion at the Aviation Personnel Training School of “Turkmenhowayollary” Agency. During their visit to the airport, the children had a chance to learn about the history of civil aviation in Turkmenistan. The girls and boys boarded an airplane, explored the takeoff and landing platform, and visited the rescue and fire service, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of airport operations and emergency services. During the visit to the Aviation Personnel Training School, children had the opportunity to see and even try out various training equipment, including flight simulation, evacuation during emergency landing and much more.
Reflecting on her experience, one of the participants, Bahtygul, said, “Visiting the airport and seeing all the different jobs people do was amazing. I loved trying out the flight simulator and learning about how planes work. Now, I really want to become a pilot one day!”
“UNICEF is thrilled to partner with Turkmenistan Airlines and Ministry of Education to celebrate 2024 International Children’s Day. We hope this event inspires the children to explore diverse career opportunities in aviation. UNICEF will continue supporting the Ministry of Education and Turkmenistan Airlines to prepare a young generation of STEM professionals in Turkmenistan” – said Alexandru Nartea, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Turkmenistan.
The event was a huge success and sparked a lot of interest, smiles and positive emotions among all children and adults involved. ///nCa, 2 June 2024 (in cooperation with UNICEF Turkmenistan)
Here are some photos from the event:
