Etihad Airways, the national airline of theUnited Arab Emirates, has launched its 2012 Corporate Social Responsibility program in Pakistan with a visit to the Deaf Reach School and Training Centre in Karachi.

The school, which is part of the Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF), seeks to empower hearing impaired children, teenagers and young adults in urban and rural areas by teaching them vocational skills.

The courses are also designed to help students become self-sufficient and meet their specific academic and vocational needs.

Etihad Airways Area General Manager Amer Khan said: “Corporate and individual philanthropy is an important part of our CSR strategy. In Pakistan, Etihad strives to give due respect to the society we live in so that no one feels marginalised.

“We have been supportive of such initiatives over a number of years, and this visit to FESF builds on all our previous work and sets the stage for more cooperation in the future.”

Richard Geary, the Deaf Reach School and Training Centre’s Executive Director said: “We are very happy and honoured with this visit. It is encouraging for us to know that a multi-national organisation such as Etihad Airways takes genuine interest in gifted children and seeks ways to involve them more into society.”