19 years of unwavering service delivery at MVA
Cultivating long-term work partnerships
Helen Penejambeko Shikongo reflects on her career journey and imparts valuable lessons as she prepares to depart from the fund after 19 years of dedicated service.
Helen Penejambeko Shikongo is a compassionate professional with 19 years of experience assisting individuals in coping with and resolving everyday challenges as part of her 19-year career at the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund. An excellent communicator, she possesses a talent for cultivating long-term work partnerships. Now, Shikongo is set to depart soon from the MVA Fund after dedicating 19 years to the organisation.Background
Shikongo was raised in Windhoek in a family of seven, with three brothers (two late) and four girls (one late, a twin). For her education, she attended both Mandume Primary and Namutoni Primary schools in Katutura and completed her secondary school education at Martin Luther High School in Okombahe, Omaruru.
She outlines her journey towards acquiring the necessary skills and prerequisites for the labour market through a sequence of well-timed events:
1985-1986: Social worker assistant at the health and social services ministry.
1986-1987: Transferred as senior accounts payable clerk to the Windhoek Central Hospital.
1987-1989: Further studies in Harare, Zimbabwe, at the Associate College of the University of Zimbabwe, focusing on social work and advanced intensive English courses.
1990-02 - 1992-11: Programme officer at the Namibia Development Trust under the leadership of Lindy Kazombaue.
1995-1996: Typist clerk and control officer at Namdeb Hospital.
1996-2001: Branch administrator for Prosperity Health Medical Aid, managing the office in Oranjemund (Gem Health).
Duties
Shikongo joined the MVA Fund in September 2004 as a case manager in the claims department and was later promoted to head of medical provider relations in 2012. She thrives under pressure, adapting well to different situations and obstacles to promote the organisational brand. Her responsibilities include training customer service representatives, multitasking and developing professional partnerships to increase profitability and achieve firm results.
Shikongo describes herself as a strong-willed individual, compassionate to others, always ready to encourage hard work and lend a helping hand, and capable of working with diverse groups of people. She enjoys interacting with people, providing information on the fund's claims processes and assisting in signing up with the fund to provide services to those injured in car crashes.
Acknowledging these challenges, Shikongo admits to struggling with multitasking and delegating responsibilities. However, her unique work strategy, a blend of her personality traits, life experiences, hobbies and abilities, helps her navigate through these hurdles. She emphasises her individuality, stating, "No one has the exact same set of characteristics as me, and that makes me special."
As a long-serving employee, Shikongo advises new professionals to convey their thoughts, opinions, ideas and feelings clearly and honestly in a courteous manner.