“Am I doing enough to make a difference in the lives of others?” – First Lady
The success of a leadership programme based on training, mentorship and community projects was celebrated last week when the first sixteen almuni received their certificates.
Afrox Namibia is the driving force behind the programme offered by its own dedicated institution branded the Afrox Leadership Academy.
The Managing Director, Eckhardt Vorster said the Afrox Leadership Academy is based on the best methods for skills development, following a holistic approach to equip incumbents with more than just theory.
“Afrox Namibia embarked on this audacious programme to equip the youth with the necessary soft skills to make a tangible impact in their communities and consequently play a part in the realisation of national development goals,” he said.
This year was the first intake for the academy. Sixteen learners were selected from three public schools in Windhoek, based on their academic performance in 2017. The pilot programme started in April this year. It covered a one-week leadership training camp by the Africa Leadership Institute at Rock Lodge, focusing on a range of topics such as career guidance, performance and results, service delivery, basic etiquette, project management and many more. It was also followed by active engagement in various community projects.
The sixteen learners were awarded for their commitment at a gala dinner hosted by Afrox and addressed by First Lady Monica Geingos.
Encouraging the children, Vorster said “When we started dreaming about a value adding programme a couple of years ago, and eventually settling on this Leadership Academy programme, I believed that we were onto something valuable. We saw how the future of this country could be impacted by investing in the lives of our young people. Today, having been involved in the process of the Academy, listening to the stories of strength and the dreams that these young people have, witnessing their growth and development as the programme progressed, I am convinced, without a doubt that we did the right thing.”
Geingos commended Afrox and all its partners for the leadership academy, saying “No matter how hard it is you need to show up! Afrox Namibia with its partners did just that. They showed up and expressed support for the programme. Education is indeed the greatest equalizer but more than just academics, it is character development, it is integrity. It is more than just giving or offering money. It is about ensuring that the leadership academy alumni have a holistic spectrum of support, and this programme is doing just that.”
“This academy programme wasn’t only about investing in our Alumni. It was designed to inspire people and to create beautiful stories about ordinary Namibians making a difference, and I firmly believe we managed to achieve exactly that,” said Vorster.
“When you are focused on the right things, you’ll find a way of using what you have and make it work for others. At this point, the question you’ll have to answer is – am I doing enough to make a difference in the lives of others?” said Geingos.
