Making connections: managing human resources in Namibia

A challenging situation

VSO has developed a long-term strategic partnership with the Randstad Group to help it meet its corporate social responsibilities. The company offers its employees the opportunity to share their skills and help make a difference, so Jelda Veninga seized the opportunity to work as a HR adviser with the Ministry of Education in Runda, Namibia.

“The Ministry is located in the Kavango region, which is has the highest poverty rate in Namibia, as well as the highest percentage of people living with HIV,” reveals Jelda. “Not surprisingly, the organisation is characterised by a hierarchical structure, a shocking lack of resources and an enormous amount of paperwork. You know how frustrating it can be to fill out tax forms? My 10 colleagues in the HR department do this type of work for retirement, resignation, cases of misconduct, new vacancies, promotions and transfers for 3,500 teachers.”

Keeping up the good work

Two Randstad volunteers had worked in the Ministry’s HR department before Jelda arrived. “They did a great job of coming up with ideas on how to work more effectively,” she says. “Planning and organising are a big challenge here. I’m continuing the process they started and am working on the main plan they introduced – starting a digital HR database.”

The most daunting task was to input all the information from the employee files into the computer system: “It was a lot of work but the impact is high – my colleagues no longer have to go through the paper files manually when headquarters asks for statistics.”

But there’s more to Jelda’s role than organising key business processes: “As a HR adviser, I coach my colleagues at the Ministry to help them to find their own ways of working more effectively,” she explains. “This means that I help them plan, evaluate and prioritise their tasks. My strategy is to ask a lot of questions!”

Eye-opening experiences

“Every day is a new challenge,” says Jelda. “Things sometimes get lost in translation. That’s why you have to be creative and look for solutions in different ways. If something isn’t working, you have to come up with plan B. I use common sense, creativity, political sensitivity and persistence. It can be frustrating at times, but it’s mostly lots of fun.”

For Jelda, there are many rewards: “My colleagues tell me a lot and share their lives with me. I can see that the work of VSO contributes towards a better team spirit and that really motivates me. I’ve also learned a lot from the experiences of other VSO volunteers. Having ‘sundowners’ with a view over the Kavango river while discussing the cultural differences we’ve encountered in our work is a great way to unwind. As a volunteer, I also have the opportunity to travel; I’ve just come back from a trip across the country and have seen much of the beauty of Namibia. It’s a country full of natural wonders and unbelievably nice people.”