WINDHOEK – Josephine Shifotoka – passionately known as simply Meme Kayoso by her colleagues – is an inspiration to New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) where she is employed as a general worker.
Just last week, Acting CEO of NEPC Benjamin Jakobs heaped praise on Meme Kayoso, whom he said is a great inspiration to him.
“She is always the first at the office. When you arrive at work, no matter how early, she would be mopping the corridors already,” Jakobs said.
On what inspires her to be so punctual, Meme Kayoso said she understands the value of being employed, especially in a country battling high rates of unemployment, hence the need for the employed to tightly hang on to what they do. This, she was quick to point out, must be done with utmost dedication.
“I do my work before my colleagues come to work so they find it clean. I can’t afford to lose my job due to lack of commitment or lack of punctuality,” said the mother of four.
Further motivating her to work as hard as she does is the pressure of taking care of her family, she said.
Born and raised in the northern part of the country, the 38-year-old describes herself as a hard-working person.
Despite not having the biggest of jobs in the building, she said she is able to support her family financially with what she makes at NEPC.
She started at NEPC in 2017 and admits that because she is looking after 11 people, including her four children, sometimes she finds it hard to make ends meet – just like anyone in the same bracket of her salary scale.
“On weekends I look for extra jobs such as cleaning people’s houses or doing their laundry. It helps me to sustain my family, especially in the middle of the month,” she said.
Jennifer Kambangula, an NEPC employee who works closely with Meme Kayoso, described her colleague as the most hardworking, tidiest and inspiring in the building.
She added: “She’s a good example to the staff as she’s the first one to arrive at work and the last one to leave. I look up to her.” On the eve of this year’s Workers Day, Meme Kayoso encouraged all Namibian workers – especially those on low-paying jobs – to keep working hard and never give up. “Just because you are a cleaner does not mean you must belittle yourself or let anyone belittle your job. Respect your job and put more effort in what you do because at the end of the day your job is what feeds you,” concluded Meme Kayoso, citing the NEPC marketing slogan of “Feed what feeds you”.