Former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Anisha Shah made her way to Kenya in 2020 with the aim of becoming a pilot.
At the time, Shah had just quit her work in the newsroom and enrolled in a medical school in the UK. Given the global pandemic, she opted to suspend her studies and move to Kenya with her family - a husband and daughter.
During an interview with The Peak, the journalist revealed that she enrolled for studies at the Aeroclub of East Africa.
"Learning to fly is the pinnacle of my Kenyan stay. A pilot commanding an aircraft, directing it to fly, and bringing it back to earth without an incident is truly an accomplishment," the journalist recounted.
During her stay in Kenya, she sat for 10 examinations and also undertook practicals as part of the coursework.
When queried about one of her most memorable moments, she described the day she had to fly solo and landed an aircraft at Wilson Airport.
She, however, noted that one of her biggest challenges was marking the landmarks in Nairobi City because she was new to Kenya and did not want to get lost in the air.
"I had to pass 10 exams between flying and ground school. Eight of these sat over two consecutive days at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) headquarters.
"Navigation calculations proved challenging but I scored in the 90 per cent range for half of the papers," she stated.
Despite the challenges she faced while schooling, she maintained that she was motivated to pursue her dream of becoming a flying doctor.
She further noted that she enjoyed her Kenyan stay so much that she planned to return once she finalised her medical course.
"My ambition is to become a flying doctor and provide outreach across East Africa. Kenya’s northern frontier is remote and medical assistance is scarce.
"When I become a doctor, perhaps I will buy a small plane, convert it into an ambulance, and serve those who need it most," she stated.
Despite her career in Kenya, the former BBC journalist is a decorated journalist having worked with world-renowned media outlets such as CNN and Condé Nast which is behind the famous Vogue and Vanity Fair magazines.
