“Mokgotsi, I am a girl child who was born on a Thursday, that is why my name is Nana-Yaa” followed by her famous laugh. It took me 2 years to figure out that Nana Yaa could understand and fluently speak Sesotho. A fact she did not volunteer in the office because she could get some saucy news when people thought she could not understand them. We spent the rest of our time in Isando speaking pure Sesotho and sharing private jokes.

I spent the morning working on statistical forecasts. It reminded me of how Nana Yaa was probably the best Demand Planning Manager I have ever worked with. She loved numbers. She was not scared of data. She could pick up trends in numbers and project them. Most importantly she could explain statistics in the most basic and simple terms. She was confident and well spoken. Today, I wish it was possible to her a call and ask her for help. Your memory lives on Mokgotsi ❣️ It is cold, so i will wrap myself up in the scarf you knitted for me and remember the good times.