Rising from the ashes like a phoenix
Maria Shipunda was recently appointed as a personal assistant to the executive director at the ministry of labour, industrial relations and employment creation.
Monique Adams
The introverted Shipunda, who enjoys watching television, is originally from the North, born and raised by her late grandmother at a village called Okaku in the Omusati Region.
She attended Nuukata Primary School, Oshikuku Combined School and matriculated at Negumbo Senior Secondary School.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in April 2014.
That same year she got a scholarship through the ministry of education to study Masters of Business Administration (MBA) under the government of India’s Pan-African e-Network Project (PAeNP). She enrolled for an MBA in International Business at Amity University and managed to complete the course within the stipulated time frame of two years.
“I started my working career with the ministry of lands in 2015 where I was employed as a deeds examiner just for a few months before moving to the banking industry. I worked for SME Bank as an enquiries officer from September 2015 to July 2017 (when the bank was liquidated) and thereafter I was unemployed for a few months until I got an offer in February 2018 from Nedbank Namibia as an enquiries clerk till January 2021,” she says.
As a personal assistant to the executive director, her job description is taking minutes at management meetings, coordinating work, following up with management on deadlines set by the executive director, compiling reports, handling inquiries, and briefing the executive director on issues pertaining to the office.
A typical day for Shipunda consists of handling many deadlines that demand immediate attention. She prioritises her workload by first communicating with the executive director in the event that there are any urgent developments.
“I am professional, hardworking, conscientious and a highly organised person who has a passion for my work. So, I take the responsibilities of my role seriously,” she says.
Shipunda told Careers that what she has learned is that great achievements usually come after great failures and that one will never recognise true success until you learn to accept true failure. She urges people to always remain calm and humble regardless of what situation you find yourself in.
For the future she is very optimistic and is open to whatever opportunity may arise. She admits that she still has a lot to learn but she is passionate about her work and is excited about the future and new beginnings.
“Whatever our problems and circumstances, you can always find a few things to be grateful about. Not losing sight of those that can serve as a greater anchor in our lives and can give us immense strength in trying times,” she advises Careers readers.
The introverted Shipunda, who enjoys watching television, is originally from the North, born and raised by her late grandmother at a village called Okaku in the Omusati Region.
She attended Nuukata Primary School, Oshikuku Combined School and matriculated at Negumbo Senior Secondary School.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in April 2014.
That same year she got a scholarship through the ministry of education to study Masters of Business Administration (MBA) under the government of India’s Pan-African e-Network Project (PAeNP). She enrolled for an MBA in International Business at Amity University and managed to complete the course within the stipulated time frame of two years.
“I started my working career with the ministry of lands in 2015 where I was employed as a deeds examiner just for a few months before moving to the banking industry. I worked for SME Bank as an enquiries officer from September 2015 to July 2017 (when the bank was liquidated) and thereafter I was unemployed for a few months until I got an offer in February 2018 from Nedbank Namibia as an enquiries clerk till January 2021,” she says.
As a personal assistant to the executive director, her job description is taking minutes at management meetings, coordinating work, following up with management on deadlines set by the executive director, compiling reports, handling inquiries, and briefing the executive director on issues pertaining to the office.
A typical day for Shipunda consists of handling many deadlines that demand immediate attention. She prioritises her workload by first communicating with the executive director in the event that there are any urgent developments.
“I am professional, hardworking, conscientious and a highly organised person who has a passion for my work. So, I take the responsibilities of my role seriously,” she says.
Shipunda told Careers that what she has learned is that great achievements usually come after great failures and that one will never recognise true success until you learn to accept true failure. She urges people to always remain calm and humble regardless of what situation you find yourself in.
For the future she is very optimistic and is open to whatever opportunity may arise. She admits that she still has a lot to learn but she is passionate about her work and is excited about the future and new beginnings.
“Whatever our problems and circumstances, you can always find a few things to be grateful about. Not losing sight of those that can serve as a greater anchor in our lives and can give us immense strength in trying times,” she advises Careers readers.
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