If you want to get to know Shirley Monama, the best way is to sit down and share a meal, preferably a plate of nama ya tlhogo, a hearty stew beloved in South Africa.
For Shirley, food is sustenance, but it is also a means of discovery – a way to feed her curiosity.
“Eating together has proven to be the easiest way to strengthen bonds and foster relationships,” says Shirley. “What better way to understand and connect with people than sitting down and experiencing different kinds of dishes together.”
It is that type of curiosity that has guided Shirley throughout her life’s journey. After studying science at university, Shirley entered Ford through NCAMA learnership, a career entry pathway for high school-level graduates, working on the production line. Today, Shirley works as a process technician in the Silverton Plant Paint Shop.
She enjoys the deeply technical aspect of her work and the quest to continually improve the plant’s processes. In fact, she’s just begun pursuing an MBA, aiming to specialise in manufacturing, to better understand how “critical technical work affects the business.”
“Working in automotive production can be high pressure and fast paced,” she says, but once she leaves for the day, she finds her solace in life at home, with friends and with family.
Shirley grew up, and currently resides with her daughter, in Temba – a big township about an hour north of Pretoria.
“Temba is a place where I can be myself, a place where I’m most comfortable and a place where I feel safe,” she says.
“I value friends and family,” Shirley says. “When we see each other, we like to take time out of our busy lives to share and savour a bite. It gives us a chance to catch up, share emotions and advice, but mostly to laugh.
“My sense of family and home is rooted in how my parents raised us,” she says. “They’ve taught me valuable lessons that transcend both my personal and professional life. They equipped us with the tools to face whatever life throws at us.”
Shirley says she is “always up for a challenge,” but approaches everything she does with a sense of purpose.
“My parents used to say, ‘If you’re going to do something, give it your all or don’t do it at all.’”
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