2017-08-30Staff Report 2 Pinehas Nakaziko Windhoek Cheerful, frank and down to earth is how Loide Hango describes herself, pointing out the many challenges she has faced, even losing both her arms but never giving up on life. “One can choose to act negatively or positively, to be grumpy or be content, to be inactive or dynamic. If I should opt between people that are busy destroying their lives and those that are prosperous and bettering self, I will certainly choose the latter,” says Loide. She has suffered in silence wishing she could have her arms back one day although in reality she knew there was nothing she could do to achieve that. “However, I can still accomplish a lot in life without them,” she says positively. Born and raised in the village of Olupumbu in Oshikuku Constituency, Omusati Region, Hango says despite her difficult upbringing, she also enjoyed her childhood, playing normally with her friends, grazing goats and dodging school. “[In] the early years of my life I never really enjoyed primary school. I had to sit in front and on the floor for that matter when writing – imagine the cold, dusty and dirty floor. I detested it. This routine lasted until Grade 6, but with God’s guidance I adopted a new style of writing while sitting on the chair. In addition I improved my writing speed and neatness, since I was slow,” she recalls “There is no one without challenges in life. My situation indeed refined me. I am now an open-minded and grateful person, humble, serene, and patient. I have great respect for people. I understand and appreciate them. I thank God because I am always encircled by friends and relatives whenever I need them,” she reflects. Being a village girl in her childhood played a major role in her life. She says responsibilities for any village girl were those of cultivating the field, stamping grain and cooking. “At times I felt left out and neglected during the busy season. My duties as per my mother’s instructions were to feed chickens and make tea, pretty boring, since I cannot do labour. I was reluctant and despised my chores. I would sneak back into bed and sleep as soon as everyone had left for the field.” Taunts also never made her give up in life as her family always has a unique style of applauding others for doing an extraordinary thing. “Hence giving up was never an option. I tried by all means to win my family’s heart with a bright smile, just to hear one remarkable comment saying ‘that’s my girl’ from my parents,” Hango reminisces, adding that her family further encouraged her to pursue and strive for something better irrespective of her circumstances and to bear in mind that there are several people out there experiencing similar predicaments but who haven’t given up. She is currently working in the Micro Loans Section at Bank Windhoek having attained a B-Tech Degree in Human Resources Management (HRM) from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). Although she wanted to study clinical psychology at the University of Namibia (Unam), her dream did not come true and she ended up trying her luck at NUST. “I never imagined studying HRM – however I can happily confess that I made a good choice. HRM is a broad and extensive subject and one of the respected and venerated fields in any organisation.” For her, entering the professional working environment was not a walk in the park. “It wasn’t what I expected. The corporate world is quite distinct and full of challenges. For students this is the platform and opportunity to showcase and transfer the acquired skills into practice and real scenarios.” “As one worries about failing subjects at school, the same applies to the corporate world. In this segment there are concerns such as promotions, employee performances and self-development. As an employee, you need to keep abreast of all the latest trends in your profession and in general,” Hango explains. Starting at Bank Windhoek was another impressive move for her whereby she was encouraged to continue growing academically as well as professionally. “That’s why I recently pursued an additional study: industrial and organisational psychology, to keep my mind renewed and occupied and advance my knowledge extensively.” Her advice to young people is to focus on and pursue anything they wish to do and aim for distinctions in their education. “Respect your body, refrain from smoking, alcohol and drugs. These are antagonistic to the human body. Nobody is perfect, communicate to people, and seek help. Do not tolerate victimisation, know your rights, and fight for your rights.” 2017-08-30Staff Report 2
