The sky is not the limit, your determination is
Despite no financial means to pursue his dream of furthering his studies and having lost an arm in an accident, Kambunga recently graduated from the Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg, Germany where he completed a masters in Global Logistics.
When you meet Salmon Tangeni Kambunga for the first time, you soon realised that this is a positive, energised and determined young man, who won’t let anything stand in his way of achieving his dreams.
Kambunga hails from Walvis Bay and after school he started working at Standard Bank and served in various departments from the bank’s call centre to its waste management section. But soon the logistics bug bit him and in 2004 Kambunga enrolled at the Polytechnic of Namibia for a degree in Logistics and Supply Management. Here he flourished and achieved distinctions and commendations throughout his studies, and later went on to obtain his honours in Logistics. Despite finding English a challenge, Kambunga with the help of his UK born lecturer completed his thesis and was recommended for a two year’s masters course at the Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Kambunga wanted to study in Rotterdam, the biggest port in Europe, but was advised that the Kühne University was the best option to complete his masters. In preparation for this shift, Kambunga also took part-time classes at the Goethe Centre to learn to speak, read and write basic German.
“I left my beautiful country to pursue my Masters of Science in Global Logistics and Supply Chain management at Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg in August 2015. Since I have never lived in a foreign country for more than a month before, living in Germany was an eye-opener. I was excited but also apprehensive as to how I would fit into the fast paced European culture shock that awaited me,” Kambunga said. “I found Hamburg to be a magnificent place. I was amazed by this bustling metropolitan port city’s efficient and reliable public transport, which also allowed me to see much more of the city and neighboring towns. Regarding my field of study, Hamburg as the third largest port in Europe, was the ideal logistics hub housing some of the largest logistics companies in the world.”
“Yes, there was a culture shock. To be from a country where everyone talks to everybody, even to the strangers, I found myself in a country where people don’t talk to strangers nor to their fellow countrymen. It was hard to understand this almost cold or aloof atmosphere at the beginning. To be honest I was a bit confused and wondering if there was something wrong with me. However, I realised that it’s part of the local culture. In Germany, a person can sit next to you in the public transport every day, it doesn’t matter either a bus or metro train without saying hi or excuse me. Everyone minds their own business. It’s only when you get to know people a little better that they warm up a bit,” Kambunga added.
“Manica Group Namibia sponsored most of my study and traveling expenses in Germany, and I was also fortunate enough to do my internship with the company. They gave me the opportunity to learn and understand how the logistics industry operates in real life. During my stint at Manica, I was assigned two projects. I conducted a study on ways to improve the supply chain flow of the warehouses and the cost-effective use of the workforce and equipment.”
Kambunga returned to Namibia last month to take up employment at Woker Freight Services, describing it as a milestone in reaching his goals. “It feels good to be done with my studies and I am proud that I completed my degree within the time frame. I sometimes miss the school vibe, but I am fortunate enough for securing employment after one month of completing my studies.” Kambunga ’s role within Woker Freight Services is a Business Systems Analyst. “I am currently learning and analyzing the business process and systems within WFS. I am assigned to the EDI system to get the real feel of working on the system. For now it’s still step by step to full grasp the various clearing and forwarding systems within WFS.
Asked if the theoretical knowledge he learned in Germany matched real-world logistics environment, Kambunga said he was fortunate to have had a mix of the practical and theoretical, with a stronger focus on the practical. “I have been with WFS for less than a month, and by the look of things all seems to relate to what I have studied. Yes there are unique systems and processes but many of the things that I studied now make more sense in the real environment. I am currently exploring the EDI system and although it is my first time to use the system, I am able to maneuver around it comfortably. I think it is because during my period in Germany I was exposed to different systems such as SAP, System Dynamic, XLminer for solver. Hey, don’t forget I am still a student I keep learning days and nights.”
At home Kambunga loves reading, “…because every time you read a book or an article in the newspaper or on the internet you educate yourself and acquire new knowledge. I also like to travel and I have been too few European countries and visited some of the beautiful Islands such as Majorca and Ibiza, and on the list is Santorini and Maldives. For the experimenting purpose, I do enjoy cooking because it is an art. As the body needs to relax, good music will always do, and country music is the best. Well, I do also enjoy soccer.”
His motto in life? “Get your hands dirty! And always be a student. If I could give young people advice I’d say: I don’t know if you realised that you are the captain of your own ship, the director, and actor of your own movie. Therefore, don’t have wait to be reminded of the storm in the sea or when to shoot the next episode of your movie, be the driving force and be a proactive person. I keep telling my friends that the only person who knows you better than anybody else is you yourself. You know where you want to be in next five years, what you want to achieve in life, and know what is best for you, therefore, don’t wait for somebody to do things for you or push you around. That person you are waiting for will never come to your rescue because that person is you. Your future is in the palm of your hands!”
Manica awarded a living expense bursary to Kambunga to the tune of N$310,000 for his two year stint in Germany to cover his accommodation and other living expenses during this period.
Kambunga hails from Walvis Bay and after school he started working at Standard Bank and served in various departments from the bank’s call centre to its waste management section. But soon the logistics bug bit him and in 2004 Kambunga enrolled at the Polytechnic of Namibia for a degree in Logistics and Supply Management. Here he flourished and achieved distinctions and commendations throughout his studies, and later went on to obtain his honours in Logistics. Despite finding English a challenge, Kambunga with the help of his UK born lecturer completed his thesis and was recommended for a two year’s masters course at the Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Kambunga wanted to study in Rotterdam, the biggest port in Europe, but was advised that the Kühne University was the best option to complete his masters. In preparation for this shift, Kambunga also took part-time classes at the Goethe Centre to learn to speak, read and write basic German.
“I left my beautiful country to pursue my Masters of Science in Global Logistics and Supply Chain management at Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg in August 2015. Since I have never lived in a foreign country for more than a month before, living in Germany was an eye-opener. I was excited but also apprehensive as to how I would fit into the fast paced European culture shock that awaited me,” Kambunga said. “I found Hamburg to be a magnificent place. I was amazed by this bustling metropolitan port city’s efficient and reliable public transport, which also allowed me to see much more of the city and neighboring towns. Regarding my field of study, Hamburg as the third largest port in Europe, was the ideal logistics hub housing some of the largest logistics companies in the world.”
“Yes, there was a culture shock. To be from a country where everyone talks to everybody, even to the strangers, I found myself in a country where people don’t talk to strangers nor to their fellow countrymen. It was hard to understand this almost cold or aloof atmosphere at the beginning. To be honest I was a bit confused and wondering if there was something wrong with me. However, I realised that it’s part of the local culture. In Germany, a person can sit next to you in the public transport every day, it doesn’t matter either a bus or metro train without saying hi or excuse me. Everyone minds their own business. It’s only when you get to know people a little better that they warm up a bit,” Kambunga added.
“Manica Group Namibia sponsored most of my study and traveling expenses in Germany, and I was also fortunate enough to do my internship with the company. They gave me the opportunity to learn and understand how the logistics industry operates in real life. During my stint at Manica, I was assigned two projects. I conducted a study on ways to improve the supply chain flow of the warehouses and the cost-effective use of the workforce and equipment.”
Kambunga returned to Namibia last month to take up employment at Woker Freight Services, describing it as a milestone in reaching his goals. “It feels good to be done with my studies and I am proud that I completed my degree within the time frame. I sometimes miss the school vibe, but I am fortunate enough for securing employment after one month of completing my studies.” Kambunga ’s role within Woker Freight Services is a Business Systems Analyst. “I am currently learning and analyzing the business process and systems within WFS. I am assigned to the EDI system to get the real feel of working on the system. For now it’s still step by step to full grasp the various clearing and forwarding systems within WFS.
Asked if the theoretical knowledge he learned in Germany matched real-world logistics environment, Kambunga said he was fortunate to have had a mix of the practical and theoretical, with a stronger focus on the practical. “I have been with WFS for less than a month, and by the look of things all seems to relate to what I have studied. Yes there are unique systems and processes but many of the things that I studied now make more sense in the real environment. I am currently exploring the EDI system and although it is my first time to use the system, I am able to maneuver around it comfortably. I think it is because during my period in Germany I was exposed to different systems such as SAP, System Dynamic, XLminer for solver. Hey, don’t forget I am still a student I keep learning days and nights.”
At home Kambunga loves reading, “…because every time you read a book or an article in the newspaper or on the internet you educate yourself and acquire new knowledge. I also like to travel and I have been too few European countries and visited some of the beautiful Islands such as Majorca and Ibiza, and on the list is Santorini and Maldives. For the experimenting purpose, I do enjoy cooking because it is an art. As the body needs to relax, good music will always do, and country music is the best. Well, I do also enjoy soccer.”
His motto in life? “Get your hands dirty! And always be a student. If I could give young people advice I’d say: I don’t know if you realised that you are the captain of your own ship, the director, and actor of your own movie. Therefore, don’t have wait to be reminded of the storm in the sea or when to shoot the next episode of your movie, be the driving force and be a proactive person. I keep telling my friends that the only person who knows you better than anybody else is you yourself. You know where you want to be in next five years, what you want to achieve in life, and know what is best for you, therefore, don’t wait for somebody to do things for you or push you around. That person you are waiting for will never come to your rescue because that person is you. Your future is in the palm of your hands!”
Manica awarded a living expense bursary to Kambunga to the tune of N$310,000 for his two year stint in Germany to cover his accommodation and other living expenses during this period.
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