Developing and maintaining positive relationships

Victoria De Klerk, the newly appointed community relationship manager for the ||Karas region at Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, has always had a desire to help those in need and positively impact their lives.Her dedication to serving and supporting the communities she lives in has been a priority, which she continues to nurture through her career.Career development De Klerk's career began in 2003. At first, she worked as a property clerk at Lüderitz town council. There, she handled enquiries, property administration, and processing documents. Next, she moved to Rosh Pinah to work as town administrator and coordinator for Roshskor Township, where she managed lease agreements, complaints and administrative procedures. She also worked as a community development coordinator, managing training and development projects.She then returned to Lüderitz and was appointed as a community development officer for the town, responsible for overseeing the Build Together Programme, property lease agreements, and the management of council buildings.De Klerk became the centre manager of Cosdec Benguela, a vocational training centre in Lüderitz. Her responsibilities included planning and organising training activities, conducting market assessments, recruiting instructors, managing resources, supervising staff, ensuring financial accountability, preparing budgets and providing professional advice to instructors and advisory boards.Continued education De Klerk has always had the ambition to further her studies and enhance her knowledge. She holds a national diploma in adult education and community development from the University of Namibia (Unam) and a bachelor of education with honours in lifelong learning and community education, also at Unam.She then registered for a diploma in TVET management at the University of Science and Technology (NUST) and is completing her final year for a master's in adult education.As community relationship manager for the ||Karas Region, her role involves developing and maintaining a positive relationship with local communities, community-based organisations, and key stakeholders on projects, as well as working as the office manager for Hyphen’s Lüderitz office.Community engagement De Klerk notes that with the emergence of green hydrogen in Namibia, the industry is garnering significant attention from community members, resulting in both excitement and confusion. "There is a need to create awareness so that community members fully understand our project. Education about the different energy streams has become imperative," she said.Although the recent introduction of Hyphen's socio-economic development (SED) framework highlights socio-economic gains for Namibians, the role of educating and creating awareness for the green hydrogen project and the benefits it can bring can still be a challenge. Privately, De Klerk enjoys spending time with family, travelling and learning about different cultures. She offers motivational speeches and coaches women and youth."I like cooking and believe that I am one of the world's hidden top chefs! I enjoy philanthropic activities and visiting the underprivileged. Netball has long been one of my favourite sports, so I enjoy playing and watching it," she said.

Developing and maintaining positive relationships

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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Developing and maintaining positive relationships

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-17

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