As we bid farewell to Women’s Month, CEO of The Association of the Aged, Femada Shamam, celebrates her nomination for the 2021 Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women Initiative.
Shamam began her career at TAFTA in 1999 as a young, newly-qualified social worker and Service Centre Organiser at John Dunn House, having previously worked at the Tongaat and Districts Child Welfare. She quickly propelled to the helm of TAFTA’s social agency and team of social workers in 2003 where she was promoted to Head of TAFTA’s Social Agency Department. While continuing with her studies, attaining a first-class pass for Business Management and completing her Bachelor of Commerce degree, Shamam has since assumed various management roles within the organisation until she was assigned as Chief Operations Officer in 2016. Soon after, Shamam was appointed as TAFTA’s Chief Executive Officer in April 2017. Compassion and commitment to providing uncompromised care has seen Shamam dedicate 22 years to serving the elderly through her position at the non-profit organisation and by serving on several local, provincial, national and international forums dedicated to lobbying for rights of the elderly.
“My guiding belief has always been that a better life for the elderly is possible. The transition from working directly with the elders to managing the staff and the programme presented an opportunity to effect change in a different way. My inspiration is drawn by the successes of the staff whom I lead. Their joys, their achievements and their successes spur me on to be better and do better,” said Shamam. Shamam and nine other phenomenal women participating in the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women initiative will share their stories and offer their insights gleaned from their individual experiences and journeys, through an interactive online webinar series. The initiative recognises some of the industrious and enterprising female entrepreneurs, employees and social change agents in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It comprises a three-month build-up to the main event, sharing the stories and showcasing the achievements of ten participating women in the province through webinars, print and social media.
