After 40 impressive years of service, professional nurse Eunice Lakay was the star at Rand Aid’s 2017 Long Service Awards Ceremony on August 24.
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Eunice started at Rand Aid in 1977 at Jordan House as charge sister in the Priscilla Dillner wing.
She spent eight years there before Jordan House was handed over to the Methodist Church for administration.
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Eunice, however, chose to remain with Rand Aid and filled the post of night supervisor at the Bramley Complex for six years.
In 1993 she reverted to day duty and two years later, the Bramley Complex was sold.
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Eunice was temporarily transferred with residents to Wedge Gardens – Rand Aid’s substance abuse treatment centre.
She was subsequently transferred to Ron Smith Care Centre where she is now the charge sister, caring for residents and supervising nursing duties at the Cedar Park Unit.
“Rand Aid could not exist without its staff, in particular those here today who have given so many years of service,” said CEO Rae Brown.
Since implementing awards for long service 12 years ago, the NPO has given out 987 awards. These represent 9380 years of service.
Pius Dlamini, a gardener at Wedge Gardens, received the award for having given the second highest number of years’ service namely 25 years.
Tina Tufegdzic, Thembalami Care Centre’s housekeeper, and Magdeline Lebesa, a professional nurse at Thembalami, were both recognised for 20 years of service.
Marinda Looyen, the deputy manager at Inyoni Creek, and Morky Mongwe who is a chef at Rand Aid’s catering division, received awards for 15 years’ service.
Thirty people received 10-year service awards and seven received five-year awards. The tokens of appreciation were handed out by the chairman of Rand Aid’s board, John Robinson.
Two people who found sheltered employment at Wedge Gardens were also recognised for the contribution they have made to Rand Aid: Dave Pellow for 20 years and Johan Labuschagne for 15 years of service.
Eunice, with her 40 years of service, is in good company. Mercia Sekgarametso has been at Rand Aid for 36 years, Jubilee Boikanyo has just retired after 41 years and Frans Mpete, with 42 years of service, is Rand Aid’s longest serving employee.
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