WELLNESS CORNER
MORE THAN
The turning point came not just through courage, but through care. After thorough consultations and medical guidance, Patricia began a prescribed course of Oratane, a treatment often reserved for more serious skin conditions. While effective, Oratane is no magic pill. It’s a demanding journey with physical, emotional, and social side effects that include; skin dryness, mood swings, heightened fatigue, darker skin, cracked lips and so on and so forth. But for Patricia, it was also the beginning of a profound inner transformation. Healing That Went Beyond the Skin “The healing that is happening is more than skin deep,” Patricia says. “Yes, my acne is clearing, but so is the fog of self-doubt I had wrapped around myself for years.” Throughout her Oratane journey, Patricia made a conscious decision to continue showing up in her professional roles. Facilitating engagement initiatives and conversations, - she embraced visibility even when she didn’t feel “picture perfect.” “I learned to be gracious with myself. I started to challenge the corporate narrative
that we must always be polished, perfect, unblemished,” she says.
Skin Deep PATRICIA SHIBAMBU’S JOURNEY TO WELLNESS, CONFIDENCE, AND CORPORATE COURAGE
DHL: Where Wellness Is Lived, Not Just Promised Rather than retreating, Patricia leaned further into her role as an HR practitioner, bringing empathy and authenticity to every interaction. “This journey made me more empathetic,” she shares. “I started noticing when others were silently struggling. It reminded me to lead with heart and compassion.”
There were days I avoided eye contact, boardroom conversations, even the camera in TEAMS calls. Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because my skin made me feel like I didn’t belong. Patricia Shibambu, HR Talent & Engagement Specialist, SSA
For years, Patricia battled severe acne, a condition often dismissed as cosmetic, but which, like for many women, affected her professional confidence and personal identity. “It wasn’t just a breakout here and there. It was painful, chronic, and persistent. I started believing the whisper that I needed to ‘hide’ myself,” she shares.
In the bright corridors of DHL, Patricia Shibambu holds space as our HR Learning, Talent & Engagement Specialist for SSA. But before she could help lead engagement initiatives and cultivate workplace culture, she was silently shrinking into the corners burdened by a deeply personal health journey that played out on her skin.
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