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20 August 2020 | Story Loenie Bolleurs | Photo Charl Devenish
Saajida Abdulla believes great leaders are ambitious, driven, and aspire for transformation, but never purely for themselves. They are ambitious for others and possess an indefinite will to do whatever is necessary in service of this greater cause.

Coming from a strong business and entrepreneurial background, Saajida Abdulla is currently serving her Industrial Psychology internship in the Department of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness at the University of the Free State (UFS). 

Abdulla’s academic background includes several degrees in both psychology and business. After completing an honours degree in Business Sciences, she worked in the retail sector for several years. 

However, she still felt unfulfilled in her career path and returned to the world of academia to combine her passion for psychology and her inherent business strengths by pursuing further studies in Industrial Psychology. 

An interview with Abdulla sheds light on some of her dreams, inspirations, and challenges. 

Is there a woman who inspires you and who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month, and why?

I am inspired by STRONG WOMEN LEADERS, those who are accelerants for change, who have pushed through obstacles, challenged the status quo, and strived for transformation in their space – woman branded with tenacity, grit, resilience, and the vision to lead others to excellence.

My greatest inspiration is my mother. Her strength of character, resilience, and perseverance in overcoming adversity is what inspires me to keep going and be the best I can be. 

I am inspired by STRONG WOMEN LEADERS, those who are accelerants for change, who have pushed through obstacles, challenged the status quo, and strived for transformation in their space. - Saajida Abdulla

What are some challenges you have faced in your life that have made you a better woman?

If I had to single out some of the challenges I have faced, I would say failure. The taste of failure and disappointment has propelled me to keep pushing myself and to not allow situations to define me. I have learnt to view failure as nothing but a temporary setback, because if you allow the feelings of failure and disappointment to halt your growth, you will never evolve. 

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?

Your life has been designed by the best of architects, and even though you may not understand all the turns and detours, they are all absolutely necessary to take you to the exact places you need to be. On this journey, you will also encounter setbacks and failure, but embrace it, for it will lead to the evolution of your success. 

What would you say makes you a champion woman [of the UFS]?

I am honoured to be considered as one of the UFS’s champion women, and I believe it is inherently linked to my strive for great leadership. I critically evaluate and challenge situations, provide a vision for innovative problem solving, and direct change and transformation within all areas of my personal and professional life. However, the greatest quality that makes me a champion woman of the UFS, is my fundamental purpose to make a difference in the lives of others.

 


News Archive

Prof. Letticia Moja a winner in her category
2004-08-17

 

Prof. Moja a finalist in award 
'Every member of staff is important to me'

Michelle Cahill - Bloemnuus

IF you are in need of a dose of inspiration, try and get an appointment with Prof. Letticia Moja, the Dean of the Faculty of Health Science at the University of the Free State. It will not be easy as she has an extremely tight schedule, over and above being a finalist in the 2004 Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year competition.

 

Although not a born and bred Free Stater, this dynamic woman has come to love the Free State. "Once you get past the mindset of a small town and all the negatives surrounding it, it is an absolutely wonderful experience," Moja said.

Moja was born in Pretoria and grew up in Garankuwa as the second eldest of five children. "That was nothing special. I was not the eldest and I wasn't the youngest," she quipped. She had two younger brothers, one of whom died in a car accident and then two sisters.

She went to school in Pretoria and her first contact with the Free State was when she wrote her matric at Moroka High School in Thaba Nchu. "That was one of the best schools for us at that time," she says. After completing matric, she went on to study medicine in KwaZulu-Natal.

In 1982 she returned "home" and completed her internship at the Garankuwa Hospital. Hereafter she specialised in gynaecological obstetrics at Medunsa.

She became the head of the gynaecological obstetrics unit and later opened a branch in Pietersburg.

"This was just about the most heart-rending time of my life. You saw people travelling for up to three days just to see a doctor," she says. "Here we really interacted with the community."

In 2001 she was invited by the University of the Free State to apply for the job of vice-dean of the Faculty of Health Science. "I wasn't too keen," she says, "but they kept on calling to find out if I had applied or not," she says with a smile. "Eventually I gave in and was appointed."

She thought she would work a couple of years under Prof. Kerneels Nel, then the dean of the faculty. "Unfortunately that was not to be. I had hoped that I could learn from him," Moja says.

Prof. Nel died of a heart attack in 2003 after which Moja deputised for him before being appointed as dean.

"This brought along a whole newset of challenges," she says, "Now I have to work out budgets and I need to know what human resources are," she jokes. This has prompted her to take up her studies again and she is currently doing her MBA.

"It has certainly been a challenge to go into management and without my support structure I most certainly wouldn't have been able to do it," Moja says.

Moja is actively involved in her church and serves on various committees including the Health Professional Council where she is acting president of the Medical and Dental Board and the Provincial Aids Council.

To her no job is menial. She recalls when she used to have "high tea" with her staff in Gauteng and Limpopo. "One of the cleaning ladies used to think her job was menial. That is just not so. No hospital can do without even the lowest position. Imagine stepping over rubbish while you're trying to catch a baby. To me everybody is important no matter what you do. "

Moja's eldest daughter is studying for her B.Accounting degree at Wits . Her youngest daughter is in Gr. 9 at Eunice and she has also brought along her niece, who is in Gr. 8 at Eunice. "You see, we need to be three girls in the house."
She feels honoured to have been nominated by the institution especially as it is traditionally male-dominated. "It is not about me, but about the support structure. Nobody can do it on their own. It is a team effort."
BLOEMNUUS - VRYDAG 9 JULIE 2004

 

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