Unsung Heroes
Not all heroes wear capes
Who are Namibia’s unsung heroes? Why are they essential to every existing business or company, you may ask? We often see how companies and different organisations are represented by those who hold high positions in the company. Flipping the narrative this year, we feature those who are in the background of things. Studying these figures will give many aspiring but unsure scholars a better perspective on these careers and what their work entails in a brand-new category featuring unsung heroes. Shedding this light on them also emphasises the fact that ordinary people can be agents of great and remarkable change. Guiding you to different careers while featuring these individual profiles, this year’s edition will holistically focus on employees who make an outstanding contribution to their teams. They assist in making significantly great tasks (great or small) achievable through their involvement and contribute greatly towards their team’s efforts in becoming a success. They make work possible which may sometimes be overlooked by others. These are employees who are not be in managerial positions and whose jobs may seem daunting as compared to the average daily office job.
Unsung heroes are not limited to, but do include, truck drivers, military personnel, ambulance drivers, firefighters, police and traffic officers, water treatment system operators, teachers, refuse and recyclable material collectors, electrical line installers, construction labourers, mineworkers and farmers.
Their working hours may be seen as long and unusual. Even though their working experiences differ from the traditional 8-5 office job having a cup of coffee, attending meetings in boardrooms and sending emails, they have a great network of people who work with them. They may also be required to repeatedly operate machinery or drive the same route every week just to make sure their work is done.
These workers are just as important as chief operating officers, managing director, chief financial officers, department managers and supervisors. These unsung heroes are essential for companies and society as a whole, and that is we are highlighting their amazing roles in this year’s edition. Their contributions amount to a great outcome and collective success for companies at large. Unsung heroes need to be recognised and celebrated for their efforts in making sacrifices to work on tasks and machinery which others may see as daunting, dirty, exhausting or uncomfortable to do day after day.