Former Durban airport cleaner is on her way to realising her dream of becoming a pilot
The inspiring story of one woman who had a dream and is making it come true...
We all have hopes and dreams, at some point in our lives some become more important than others and we push to achieve them. When we hear about those people that come from less privileged circumstances, and we see them surpassing their goals, it truly leaves us feeling inspired.
That can be said about the woman in this story, who was a former cleaner and worked at the Durban International Airport, now King Shaka International. But her dream was to become a pilot and she is well on her way there...
Nokuthula Mchunu is a 37-year-old from Lamontville, Durban. She read about aviation and the various careers that you can get into in the industry. From mopping floors and cleaning, she is now a student pilot at Focus Air Flight School in Durban.
"Mchunu believes that schools and community leaders have a responsibility to organise career days and workshops to expose pupils to sectors like aviation." (Sowetan Live)
After my cleaning job I got a job at Air Mercy Service working as a flight coordinator. The more I understood about the aviation sector the more I fell in love with it. Through my experience, I want black youth to be inspired and know that it’s possible to do flight training. Learners must be encouraged to dream big and not be limited to traditional careers.
Nokuthula has become an advocate of sorts for those that have come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. She encourages people who have an interest in aviation to look into funding, because that is most likely the main reason that the aviation industry has a lack of diversity.
She feels if she could do it then anyone can. There are many other areas in aviation outside of being a pilot, which can be a great career choice.
I come from a disadvantaged background and flight training is expensive. However, like the other students, I am not letting my background stop me from achieving my dream.
"There are many career opportunities available in the aviation space such as piloting, engineering, mechanics, airport operation, aircraft manufacturing, avionics mechanic, airfield operations specialist, airport manager and transportation security screening." (Sowetan Live)
Nokuthula is a clear example of the mindset and the attitude that all of us can adopt in order to achieve our goals in life. Don't think about all the no's, think about all the yeses and how amazing it will feel once you have achieved your dream...
Image Courtesy of Facebook