The Association for the Aged (Tafta) is excited to celebrate the announcement of CEO Femada Shamam as one of only 30 women hailed as a Standard Bank KwaZulu-Natal Top Woman in Business at their gala commemoration evening held recently.
The gala event, held at the Coastlands Umhlanga hotel on 18 November celebrated Shamam and 29 other females as the most industrious and enterprising female entrepreneurs, employees and social change agents in the province.
Since beginning her career at The Association for The Aged as a newly qualified Social Worker, Shamam has been instrumental in changing the lives of older people for 22 years. Now the Chief Executive Officer of the Non-Profit Organization, Shamam represents Tafta on various local, national and international platforms. She also lobbies and advocates for the rights of older people in her capacity as the Africa Ambassador to the Commonwealth Association for the Ageing.
“I don’t believe that what I do is extraordinary. But what I do believe, is that giving 100% of myself in my initiative to lead my team with passion will give effect to Tafta’s purpose, which is to bring dignity, growth and a meaningful life to all older people. If we are able to do that, I think we will then truly live in a wonderful world. When I get into a lift with an older person, and they talk about how their lives are better because of Tafta’s interventions, that for me is extraordinary,” said Shamam.
Following her nomination by her team, Shamam participated in a series of webinars aimed at inspiring women to achieve their personal, career and business goals. Through these webinars and other media platforms, participants in the initiative shared their stories and achievements, and provided insights gleaned from their individual experiences and journeys as a build-up to the final event hosted on 18 November 2021. At the evening gala event, the 30 finalists were celebrated and presented with a certificate and a coffee table book featuring each of their inspirational journeys.
In her encouragement to women, Shamam advised that being true to yourself and starting small will open opportunities. “Never be afraid to learn or seek advice, as there will be times when you fail. When you do; fail fast, and move on to the next thing. I firmly believe that it is in our failures that we learn our greatest lesson. Remember to forgive yourself. You will make mistakes, don’t dwell on them. We are here for a short moment in time, and we can’t waste our energies on things that we can’t control. Live in the moment; do the best that you can because the only control that you have is over your own actions,” concluded Shamam.