Page 31 - KZN Top Business Women - eBook 2023

Life is about never giving up,

it’s about how you restructure your life, how you prioritise.

a lot during that time, while I still was trying to strike And, says Velo, giving social workers a voice to address
Social worker the balance between family, home and my career,” their challenges is critical; through her study she is hoping
commented Velo. to advocate for policy and managerial practice changes.
r Velo Govender is a social worker by profession.
Her journey through life is a testament to her Next generation Vision for the future
D dedication to her family, her profession, and her
thirst for knowledge. As their children have reached pivotal stages in their lives, Her vision extends to her husband’s construction spares
Velo has shifted her focus toward empowering them to business, as they are determined to take the company to
Velo recently celebrated her 27th wedding anniversary become successful individuals. into global and southern African markets.
with her husband, Ricky Govender, who she says is an
incredible man. Together, they have raised two children, Her daughter, Jishnavi, has recently graduated and started For young women aspiring to make their mark in the
Jishnavi and Mishen, aged 25 and 21 respectively, who her first job in Cape Town. Velo sees her role as motivating world, Velo’s journey stands as an inspiring example.
are both embarking on their journeys into adulthood as her daughter to achieve more at a younger age, as she She emphasizes, “It is very important to utilise available
civil engineers. believes that Jishnavi has an entrepreneurial mindset. Her resources, leverage your knowledge and skills to achieve
son, Mishen, is being groomed by her husband, Ricky, to your goals, and network with the right people, even when
Professionally, Velo wears two hats, juggling two become involved in the business, as they believe he has you may not initially recognise who they are.” Knowledge
significant roles and says that she is a ‘busy body’. Velo is the ability to influence the vision of the business. and skills are invaluable assets, and she encourages
not only an Individual and Family therapist but holds the young women to seize every opportunity to pursue their
position of Marketing and HR Executive at her husband’s Velo has had a lot of achievements in her journey. goals with unwavering determination.
company, JRV Spares & General. Balancing these two roles An inspiring aspect of Velo’s journey is her recent
speaks volumes about her ability to manage multiple achievement of obtaining a PhD at the age of 51. She Currently, Velo is running collaborative training workshops
responsibilities and excel in different domains. completed the writing of her thesis in one and half years, for women in different skills such as technology and finance.
despite numerous medical challenges.
Velo is currently the chairperson of one of the largest Power of determination
NGO’s in KZN, the Ubuntu Community Chest, where they She commented, “I think it has shown that no matter
allocate funds to over 98 non-profit organisations. how old you are, that anything is possible. Through a lot Velo’s life journey has not been without its challenges,
of dedication, commitment, and resilience I was able to life is tough she says. A critical health issue disrupted her
Her professional journey commenced in the non- find the balance between my career, home as well as my life five years ago when she was diagnosed with a brain
governmental organisation (NGO) sector, where she studies and still be able to fulfil that dream of actually tumour. “Life just came to a standstill. I did not even get a
devoted over 15 years to working with children and the obtaining my PhD.” chance to clear my office desk,” said Velo. Her challenges
elderly. During this time, she was involved in community included post-operative facial nerve complications as
development and providing support to vulnerable children. Her research focused on the Impact of Neoliberalism
and New Managerialism on social workers within the well as not being able to speak, a problem with her eyes
Life, however, presented new challenges as she child welfare sector. This study delved into the myriad and short-term memory issues.
navigated the roles of a mother and a wife to a husband, challenges faced by social workers for many years and After a one-and-a-half-year recovery period, Velo decided
who was committed to his business. Recognising the the imperative need for lasting solutions and change. that God had given her a second chance of life for a
need for flexibility in her career to balance her various reason. She now uses her position to work with other
responsibilities, Velo decided to pursue part-time The culmination of her research was marked by a people being diagnosed with critical illness.
employment at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) breakfast event attended by her sample group of 130
and the University of South Africa. social workers, where Velo shared her findings. Notably, Velo added, “Life is about never giving up, it’s about
the National Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe how you restructure your life, how you prioritise. Even
“It was a privilege to have the flexibility to continue my Zulu, attended the event and was the keynote speaker. if you don’t have the resources find a way, you’ll see
career while being a devoted mother,” said Velo. During anything’s possible.”
this period, she took on a master’s degree in social work Velo commented, “The Minister applauded me for the
at UKZN. efforts that I made to take the study forward and talk about On being nominated for KZN Top Business Women, Velo
the results and for bringing the social work community says, “I’m hoping that this will create a platform for me,
“Through this all we were able to grow the business together. As she said, many people do studies and then as a social worker, to give women a voice, and be an
and Ricky worked seven days a week to accomplish
normally put them away on a shelf to collect dust.” advocate for women that says, you are being heard.”

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