Embu Woman Who Sold Mangoes Now Flies as Etihad Airways Cabin Crew
A year ago, Faith Mwaniki was selling mangoes with her mother and running a small shop in Mbeere, Embu County. Today she’s cabin crew with Etihad Airways, based in the UAE. Mwaniki marked her first year abroad with a social media post crediting faith, patience and refusing to quit, alongside a message for anyone who feels stuck exactly where she once was.
Just over a year ago, Mwaniki says she had almost given up. She spent her days helping her mother sell mangoes and working a shift at a small retail shop in Mbeere, unsure what came next.
Things shifted after she joined Neno Sacco, which gave her the footing to start applying for cabin crew positions with international airlines. She kept applying even when nothing came through.
40kg and a leap of faith
In July 2025, Etihad Airways said yes. Mwaniki packed her entire life into 40 kilograms and flew to a country where she knew no one and had never set foot before.
“I packed my life in 40 kg,” she wrote, marking the anniversary.
She says the transition wasn’t easy, but she leaned on her faith to get through it.
Mwaniki didn’t stop at celebrating her own year. She used the moment to tell others going through hard seasons not to give up, saying she had no godfathers pulling strings for her, only patience and belief that things would work out.
