If she were male, perhaps she would have become a mechanic — tinkering with those old Bedford, Hino and Leyland trucks that defined life for most coloured families of that era. Her dream then was to become an accountant. She pursued the course, but eventually withdrew when tuition ran out.
That could easily have been the end of the story. The only reason Jane rarely makes it back ‘home’ is because her fleet does not fly this side of the region. From a farm estate to the world’s major airports — this is the remarkable rise of a Malawian woman who refused to let circumstance define her altitude.
“I remember standing at OR Tambo in South Africa years ago, watching Qatar Airways and Emirates cabin crew glide past. The way they walked—confident, majestic—left me in awe. I whispered to myself, ‘one day that will be me walking through this same airport in that uniform.’ Today, that dream is my reality.
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Dream big. Never underestimate yourself,” said the 31-year-old. This is Jane’s story who has soared to remarkable heights in the aviation industry—a world she once admired only from afar.
She may well be the first Malawian flight attendant to serve with three international airlines: beginning with Malawian Airlines, rising to Qatar Airways and now taking her place with the prestigious Emirates. But her journey is bigger than the destinations she flies to. As she circles the globe earning her stripes, Jane is also inspiring countless others, especially girls locally and internationally, that dreams do come true.
Born to Rodha Cohen and a man she prefers to identify only as S.A. Chiwaya, Jane began her education at Namadidi Primary School in Zomba, before proceeding to Chinamwali Secondary School. “In 2007, we moved to Namadidi, Kaunde Village.
As a young girl, I was always curious, observant and extremely ambitious. I dreamt big even when my world felt so small. I was shy, but my imagination was loud.
Deep down I always felt something bigger was waiting for me,” she recalls. After completing secondary school, she moved to Lilongwe and enrolled at Lilongwe Technical College to pursue her dream of becoming an accountant. “I only did one semester because I had to drop out due to lack of financial support.
So I was back to being just an Malawi School Certificate of Education holder,” she says. Feeling discouraged, Jane did not realise that her turning point was closer than she thought and it came through her sister who practically pushed her into aviation. “She believed in me before I believed in myself,” Jane admits.
“She saw potential in me and knew I would make a good flight attendant. Without her push, I don’t think I would be a flight attendant.”
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