Captain Ashaba Faridah is one of the few women who has succeeded in reaching the top of the aviation industry.
Ashaba was persuaded to enroll in a piloting course even though she initially wanted to pursue a career in interior design.
“Initially, my plan was to pursue a career in interior design, and I had already submitted my application to Makerere University.
However, when I went to Soroti for holidays, my mother was given an idea by a relative to consider enrolling me in a piloting course instead of joining the university,” said Capt Ashaba Faridah while appearing on NTV’s Mwasuze Mutya show this morning.
Ashaba clarified that although she liked the idea, she and her family couldn’t pay for the pricey pilot course.
“I aimed to get a scholarship, which required a personal encounter with the country’s president. After two years of pursuit, we were able to submit our names to the president and got the scholarship eventually after another year,” Ashaba said.
“The cost ranges from $19,000 – $20,000 (entire course), In Some schools you pay per hour, around $130. I would advise you to make google your friend for there are many aviation scholarships available for developing countries,” she added.
Ashaba revealed she had no intention of looking for employment after the course. Instead, she considered providing scenic flights through Ashaba Flights to those wishing to travel within the country.
A scenic flight is a short flight aimed at giving the feel for flying and seeing the world from a different perspective.
“I partnered with those who already had planes, but many discouraged me from going ahead, saying people wouldn’t pay for such a service in Uganda but I was determined to start,” she said.
As of today, 60 different people have taken advantage of Ashaba’s scenic flights, which cost Shs380,000 per person.
“We’re thrilled to have taken so many loved ones on surprise tours and given them a bird’s eye view of the stunning beauty of Uganda and I am glad I didn’t give up when people told me that the idea wasn’t going to work out,” she said.
She is also the CEO of Bambino Life Foundation. The foundation focuses on equipping girls with valuable skills.
“We have been able to teach girls how to make their own pads. Some have even gone ahead and learned to make pads for selling purposes,” she said.