Throughout January, and for the 12th edition of its “Grande Collecte”, the Air France Foundation set up a huge solidarity chain to benefit 12 Senegalese associations.
Created in 2015, the Air France Foundation's Grande Collecte is a long-term solidarity initiative. Every year, hundreds of Air France employees and retirees come together with a common goal: to collect supplies for charities working with the most vulnerable children and young people.
Once again, this year, the commitment was exceptional. In Paris, at stopovers, in offices, hangars, and cargo areas, hundreds of employees and retirees turned out to donate, collect, sort, pack, and ship thousands of donations to children in need.
This collective effort resulted in the collection of 9 tons of donations, a figure that illustrates the generosity and spirit of solidarity that drives Air France employees.
These donations help meet the health, education, and development needs of the most vulnerable, in addition to giving the collected items a second life.
From Collection to Transport
Everything starts with a simple gesture: donating a toy, a book, clothing, or school supplies. Then the solidarity process begins. Volunteers welcome donors, sort the items, check their quality, and prepare the parcels. Each box is carefully prepared to meet the specific needs of the partner associations.
Each year, the Foundation selects a country and local partner organizations to receive the donations. Present in nearly 80 countries around the world, this year the Foundation chose Senegal and a dozen local organizations as beneficiaries of this great chain of solidarity.
Once the boxes have been prepared and palletized, the Air France Cargo teams take over, providing invaluable support to the Foundation by using the cargo capacity of Air France aircraft to transport the donations to their destination.
An initiative that continues on the ground
Upon arrival, the local Air France delegation teams handle the next phase. Air France teams based in Dakar handle customs clearance and delivery of the packages to partner associations. The donations are then distributed to children and young people where they are most needed.
The next step of this solidarity chain will take place with an on-site mission alongside a dedicated crew, to meet the charity associations and measure firsthand the positive impact of the “Grande Collecte 2026” on children and young people.