Tribute – A flight through the life of Francisco Cossa

The sound of an airplane making its way through the clouds brings a sense of well-being to Francisco Cossa. Without reasoning, he smiles and, with his eyes wide open, he flips through his memories of the distant year 1985. With the elementary school finished, the 19-year-old student experienced sleepless nights while waiting for his job, which didn’t materialize until the following year.

January 31st 1986 was a long day; in the early hours of February 1st, clothes were prepared more than once. After a cold shower and a few minutes of preparation, the new employee of Mozambique Airlines reported to work, accepted the challenges, trained, shaped his career and, 35 years later, on February 1, he said goodbye to LAM, with the phrase “I have fulfilled my mission” on the tip of his tongue.

“I’ve had a rewarding career; I’ve learned everything I know at Companhia de Bandeira,” says Francisco, who began his career in the Human Resources department. After just one year with the company, he received a scholarship and attended the Technical-Vocational course in Labor Economics at the Instituto de FormaçãoProfissional e EstudosLaborais Alberto Cassimo. School and work were Francisco’s life for three long years. While he was still familiarizing himself with the company, he accepted the challenge of working in various sectors of LAM, such as technical management. “While I was still in Human Resources, I was one of the people responsible for organizing bureaucratic issues and training courses,” he said.

In 1995, he entered Eduardo Mondlane University in order to fulfill a childhood dream of graduating with a degree in Economics. An exhausting routine surrounded him, but Francisco gave it his all, naturally prioritizing LAM. The course, which could have been completed in four years, was finished in more than double the time. “While I was studying, I left Human Resources and went through the Operations department. When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I went into Procurement, specifically General Services and Accounting,” he says.

However, Francisco wanted to practice the profession he had trained for and was aware that, despite dealing with numbers, Accounting is not Economics. In 2004, he managed to be assigned to the Planning sector. Like a fish in water, he carried out his work with zeal and dedication, reaching middle management positions.

Now retired, Francisco looks back on his career with satisfaction and thanks everyone who contributed to his professional growth. With three children and grandchildren, as well as a successful family business, the former LAM worker still feels the urge to share his knowledge of the aviation sector. Because he believes in the magic of numbers, who knows if next February 1st a new story won’t begin?

Edição 85 NOV/DEZ| Download.