MSR – oiling the wheels of fortunes

While every man longs for a means to adequately provide for his family, such an opportunity is not always forthcoming. When life deals such blow, the Men on the Side of the Road Project has proven to help men pick up the pieces and march on.

We see them every day, the jobless on the side of the road hoping to be offered a day’s casual labour in order to earn some money to survive and put food on the table for their families. These are people that desperately seek a means of survival, but with an unemployment rate of more than 50%, such an opportunity is indeed scares. As a result, a low self-esteem, and a loss of pride and dignity sets in, as they feel not worthy enough to care for their families.

The Men on the Side of the Road (MSR) project aims to change that - one job, one person at a time. Launched in 2007 in Windhoek, the project has 800 registered members, all of them listed on a database. The members are issued with membership and identification cards, which indicate the skills they can offer.
Copies of relevant documents like IDs, place of residence, Curriculum Vitae, and contact numbers are kept at the office.

Janet Wicks, General Manager of MSR, says that they would prefer the public who want to make use of their members to work through the centre and not directly with the members.

“We feel that we are better qualified to link registered members to customers by providing information about semi skilled or unskilled workers that are specifically suited for a particular job. Members are screened to the best of our abilities and any reference or feedback we get from previous employers regarding the member goes on his file.

“As most of our members are not proficient in negotiating skills, this also allows us to negotiate the basics like remuneration, and working hours on their behalf,” she said.

To address the problem of the lack of negotiating and communication skills as well as interview skills and problem solving, MSR initiated a Life Skills training course for their members. This also equipped them with skills on how to compile a CV, structure a job application letter and on how to be pro-active in job searching.

According to Hilya Kambanda, Office Administrator and Training Co-ordinator at MSR, who presents the course, 42 of their members have completed the course.
“One of the problems that we found to hamper members in keeping jobs long term are having the wrong attitude, and the course addresses that shortcoming. We have a 40% success rate with the members that completed the course as they found jobs within 2 to 3 months.

“One of our members who completed the course decided to be pro-active and took copies of his CV to prospective employers. The second person he spoke to employed him and he now works on a full time basis,” she says.

Members that completed the course were issued with membership cards that display a new and different logo, in order for the public to recognise them.

With financial assistance from Canada, MSR were able to open a Computer Centre in November 2011consisting of six computers. Members have free access to the facilities to produce CVs and business cards, scan the media for job opportunities, and get guidance from MSR staff and volunteers. Basic computer skills are also taught by a volunteer.

“As a non-profit Non Government Organisation, we are totally dependant on donors and entered into partnerships with local corporate entities and training centres like the KAYEC Trust that provides opportunities for MSR members to receive training in a wide variety of valuable skills.

“These include truck driving, carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, tiling, painting and small engine maintenance and repair. Members that successfully complete these courses are able to find work or internships more readily than members not able or willing to do it,” says Janet.

In order to teach MSR members to be self sufficient, two projects namely a paper shredding and a paper block initiative were started. According to Pius Shambabi Project Co-ordinator, himself a product of the Life Skills training course, this project aims to reduce wood gathering for firewood by using waste product in the form of used paper, wood shavings and newspapers to create an alternative fuel to wood for cooking and heating.

“The equipment to make the paper blocks, each about the size of half a cement brick, is easy to use and consists of a manually operated metal brick mould and pulp made from shredded paper, wood shavings and water. Six members are currently involved per project,” he said.

To change the mindset of members from being employer dependent, to be fully self employed, they are expected to produce market and sell the blocks themselves. The profits generated allow them to buy the moulds and create more job opportunities. The blocks sell for N$1 each.

“All the men we helped to find employment only needed an opportunity to turn their lives around, and this is what MSR does for its members. With the help of all the concerned Namibians we will be able to do even more,” says Janet.

click to enlarge WAITING VENUE: Unemployed men from all corners of the city convene here every day, where they patiently await employment opportunities

click to enlarge LIGHT MY FIRE: Pius Shambabi, Project Co-ordinator, proudly shows off a finished firewood brick

click to enlarge EDUCATION: Hilya Kambanda in the Computer Centre that is available for MSR members

click to enlarge PROUD WORKER: Aser Nghihalasha a MSR member busy making a fi rewood brick by compressing a pulp mixture of wood, paper and water in a mould