Be committed, patient, have unshaken faith

Mariselle Stofberg
Desiree Gases



Hailing from Walvis Bay, Joyce Taatieh Luanda believes that anything is attainable through faith, commitment, dedication and hard work. After matriculating from Walvis Bay High School, she went on to pursue a honours degree in logistics and supply chain management at the Namibian University of Science and Technology. This was mainly fuelled by the logistical activities taking place in her hometown. She grew an interest in the field and felt compelled contribute to the development of Namibia as a logistics hub for southern Africa, with Walvis Bay being its gateway.

After obtaining her qualification in 2019, Luanda observed a growing gap between the first world countries such as United Kingdom and China and third world countries such as Namibia. This prompted her to study logistics and supply chain management on an international scale. She realised that she needed to acquire the necessary knowledge in order to make the difference she wanted to see.

She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in global supply chain and logistics management, a programme specialising in procurement essentials and logistics on a global scale, at the University of Sussex, through the Chevening Scholarship programme. She applied for the Chevening Scholarship mainly due to its objectives aligning with hers. “Contributing positively in advancing the beloved Land of the Brave in my respective field of interest through the skills and knowledge I will acquire during my time in the United Kingdom was the objective that stood out for ne the most.

Therefore, I knew that applying for the Chevening scholarship would be a life-changer,” she said.

“The programme will provide me with an inexhaustible and diverse network of like-minded people who want to positively influence within their space. I am extremely passionate about improving business practices in the logistics industry.”

“Just like any application process, there will be challenges. The Chevening Scholarship application process was no different from that. Just to mention a few: Imposter syndrome and a fear of the unknown are some of the internal challenges I had to fight during the application process, but they shouldn’t be the ones that prevail. Therefore, as an applicant, you should be committed, dedicated, persistent and have unshakeable faith, but most importantly have a strong support system to motivate you,” she said.

On the advice she would give to fellow students who wish to apply, she added: “Insecurity can be part of the process, but it must not limit you!”

Kommentaar

Republikein 2025-04-06

Geen kommentaar is op hierdie artikel gelaat nie

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer