Jocelyn Munkombwe, Concern Field Logistician
Jocelyn Munkombwe has been working as a field logistician for Concern for the past year responsible for managing transport, procurement, asset management and a number of other challenging tasks. Jocelyn was one of 4 female transport officers who took part in a Transport Management Course conducted by Transaid in February 2008 in Concern’s Office in Zambia’s Western Province.
Profile
Jocelyn Munkombwe is 28 years old and currently lives and works in Mongu, Zambia. Jocelyn grew up in Mazabuka in Zambia’s Southern Province before moving to Chipata at the age of 21 to start a Logistics Position with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). Jocelyn was soon transferred to ADRA’s Lusaka office where her role included commodity tracking as well as transport and procurement. Early in 2007 she took a position of field logistician for Concern Worldwide.
Jocelyn enjoys watching movies with friends and confesses to being especially partial to cartoons. She also spends her free time cooking traditional Zambian dishes and also likes reading. Jocelyn aspires to working with the UN one day when she has gained the appropriate education and experience.
Life before the Transaid training began
“Prior to the training I was not aware of the costs associated with the movement of our vehicles, I was more concerned with allocating vehicles to projects without considering the costs involved."
Benefit from the training
"Having been trained in how to calculate both the running costs and depreciation of our vehicles I am confident now that I can make decisions regarding transport which not only benefit the projects but also represent the most cost efficient choice for the organization. I believe it has been very beneficial for this Transport Management Training to take place at the same time as the Driver Training as a number of issues raised during both sessions have helped us understand what improvements we can make for the future. The drivers input into our transport management is key to ensure that we have correct and clear data on which to base our analysis.
“ For myself, this training and the knowledge which I have acquired can help me in any project I undertake in my future whether it is in development or in the private sector. The training will definitely advance my career prospects as it represents another capability which I have. As a result I hope one day to be taking on a much more senior role within Logistics and I am sure that the training which Transaid delivered will support me in helping organizations achieve their objectives”
Jocelyn’s thoughts on the issue of gender in transport in Africa
“I think that not enough women are getting involved in the Transport Sector in Africa. I believe that this reflects the more technical nature of most transport training and the way in which automotive mechanics is still a mostly male career choice. However, when organisations are willing to invest in their female staff, and build their capacity to understand the basic mechanics of vehicles and the more theoretical aspects of Transport Management there is nothing to stop females from playing a significant and beneficial role within an organisations transport department.
“There are challenges associated with being a female transport officer, for example most drivers are male and in most cases older than me. This presents problems as when I was new in the position I sometimes struggled to get the drivers to respect me, however over time they have come to respect my knowledge and ability in the role and I believe that now we have a good working relationship which works to benefit the organisation. I encourage women of any age to get into a transport role as it can be very challenging but at the same time satisfying and enjoyable, and it certainly is not just for the men.
The role has always been very challenging as I am responsible for co-ordinating a number of diverse programmes and ensuring that all of my colleagues receive the logistical support that they need for their projects. Specifically with regards to transport management, planning and controlling transport on a daily and monthly basis has always been demanding and at times I wonder if we are as efficient as we could be."
Transaid are extremely grateful to Jocelyn for sharing her thoughts and comments with us and wish her every success in her career.
