Agnes Ndegwa’s path to becoming In-Flight Manager at 748 Air Services wasn’t paved with ambition or a clear-cut career roadmap. It began in the shadows of grief and an unexpected leap of faith.
When Agnes joined 748 in 2007, she was simply looking for something to do. Anything that could help her reset after the loss of her mother and a short-lived stint as a nanny for her sister’s newborn. “I couldn’t handle the crying,” she laughs now, remembering those chaotic early days in Lokichogio. With no real work experience and no defined direction, she set out walking from one humanitarian camp to the next. Red Cross, WFP, UN. She tried them all. Finally, by what she describes as chance, she found herself at the gates of 748.
She walked in and asked the security team if there was any job available. “Anything,” she said. Her determination caught someone’s attention. Soon, she was sitting at the bar area inside the 748 camp, where she happened to meet Kevin Ashley, the Commercial Director at the time—well known for his firm and no-nonsense approach. When he heard she was looking for work, he simply said, “Find her something to do.”
Agnes was first placed in the laundry section but was quickly turned away. “She can’t work here,” the supervisor had said. So, she returned to the bar, only to be sent straight back in, this time to assist behind the counter. Her first task: washing glasses. Her first day: breaking several of them.
“I thought I’d be fired,” she recalls. But instead, Kevin pulled her aside and told her something that stuck. “Agnes, you got this. I see something in you.” It was a moment that changed everything.
She soon became a waitress, earning the trust of the team and eventually being assigned to serve the Canadian table — a crew known for their high expectations but also their kindness. With clumsy hands and determination, Agnes learned to carry trays, take orders, and earn her place in the team. “They never cut my salary, even when I spilled drinks. They believed in me,” she says with a soft smile.
Her big break came when a position opened up for Cabin Crew. At the time, Agnes hadn’t planned to apply; she was still considering journalism school. But an engineer named Slovene, the Head of Maintenance then, saw her potential and refused to let it go untapped. “He wrote my CV for me. He practically forced me to apply,” she says with a laugh. That forced transition turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.
Agnes got the job and began flying, eventually moving with the company as operations shifted from Lokichogio to Juba, and finally to Nairobi. As she gained experience, she also grew in confidence and capability, rising through the ranks to become In-Flight Manager in 2018.
Her early flying days weren’t without hiccups. She still laughs about the time she mistakenly opened the rear aircraft door before clearance had been given. “I saw grass and thought we were ready,” she jokes. Fortunately, her captain calmly told her to close the door. No drama. No punishment. Just a moment to learn from. “That taught me that mistakes are part of growth,” she reflects. “I always tell my crew that their first big mistake is just a steppingstone.”
Though her childhood dream was to be a journalist or, more surprisingly, a sniper in the military. “Yes, a sniper!” She laughs. “My dad didn’t understand it either. But I was fascinated by precision and focus.” Her father, a former military man himself, tried to steer her toward safer career paths. He eventually settled on encouraging her to pursue journalism, but fate clearly had other plans.
The loss of her mother remains a turning point in her life. Agnes was just 18 when her mother passed away from throat cancer. A tragedy that forced her to grow up quickly. “It drained us emotionally, financially, everything,” she says. That experience also instilled in her a deep sense of discipline and a commitment to regular health screenings. “We thought it was goiter at first. Even the hospital did. But it was cancer. I still carry that pain with me.”
Today, Agnes is driven by love and responsibility, especially for her daughter, who she describes as her daily motivation. “She changed me. She made me better. Everything I do is for her.”
Agnes speaks highly of 748, describing it as more than just a workplace. “It’s a family. The culture here is different. The chairman knows your name — not just your job title, but who you are.” That spirit of connection, she says, is what makes the company thrive.
Reflecting on her journey, from the heartbreak of losing her mother to the pride of leading in-flight operations, Agnes remains grounded, humble, and full of gratitude.
“I wasn’t looking for a career,” she says. “But I found a calling.”