I am Noxolo Radebe (20). A young woman from Illovo township, Durban KwaZulu-Natal. I am currently doing my Airline Transport Piloting License (ATPL) in Toulouse France.

In 2016 I attended the Girl fly program aviation and space camp (GFPA 2016) which was held in Gauteng. I have to say it was a life changing experience for me. It was the first time I heard the Aviation and to my surprise there were a lot of careers you can choose from in that field. From aviation law to air traffic control, aeronautical engineering to piloting. As a kid I have always had an interest in flying planes even though I did not think it would ever be possible. Attending the camp and seeing other black female pilots like me made me realize my dreams of being a pilot are not too wild anyway.  After the camp I took it upon me to apply for every piloting bursary on the internet I can find.

Fortunately, the South African Civil Aviation Authorities heard me and sponsored me fully for my training. My dream is to work for one of the big airlines of which I will not mention names and eventually landing on the left seat of the cockpit and being a captain. To all the Young Africans Your dreams are valid, do not let other people tell you otherwise. Believe in yourself and put in the hard work. Studying in France has been an exceptional experience, it literally stands out and cannot be compared to anything else. The interaction between people may be challenging but it is nothing google translate cannot handle. Learning other people culture and Language can come in handy although I cannot say that I have mastered it. French food is amazing from the cheese, the wine, the pastries, and just French cuisines. I think French food is one thing the world did not exaggerate or overrate. If you planning to live in France, just be ready to change your whole diet. I have only been to two cities in France which are Toulouse and Paris, I think it is every girl dream to visit Paris and I can Attest it is beautiful. I have also gotten the Opportunity to peek at other countries which are Germany Frankfurt, and Turkey Istanbul I only had the opportunity to spend a few hours in those countries and I got the chance to see their culture, and their lifestyle. Having travelled intentionally I can say that as an individual I have grown and realized there is so much more the world can offer. I have seen that the norms that you find normal are not normal for everyone.

The world is beautiful!