Windhoek job seekers continue hoping for opportunities
Every day, dozens of unemployed men line up along Moses Garoeb Street in Khomasdal, Windhoek, hoping to get work or food from well-wishers.
Their presence has become a familiar sight to commuters, yet their individual stories are often overlooked.
Among them is Mario Van Zyl (26), who has been jobless for several years and survives through occasional piecework.
“Without any sleep most of the time I walk around Windhoek looking for anything gardening, painting, whatever someone needs,” Van Zyl said.
“Most days I get nothing. It’s exhausting but I don’t have a choice. I have a younger brother and sister to look after.”
Men on the Side of the Road
Unlike Van Zyl, Paulus Kaurembi did not begin his journey on the street.
He formally approached Men on the Side of the Road (MSR), a non-profit organisation that helps unemployed people connect with work opportunities.
Paulus trained as a welder at Levi Akuthembu Vocational Training Centre in Rundu but was forced to drop out due to financial struggles.
“Even though I couldn’t complete my course, I still use the skills I learnt to do small welding jobs,” he said. “(MSR) helped me find direction and understand how to look for work better.”
MSR CEO Crystal Beukes said the organisation, founded in 2007, initially assisted only men seeking informal work but expanded in the year 2016 to include any unemployed individual.
“We offer services like CV creation and job readiness training completely free of charge,” Beukes said. “The only requirement is that the person completes a two-day soft skills training that we offer.”
She added that (MSR) often sends representatives into public spaces to speak directly to those in need.
Memorandum of understanding
“But we cannot force people to sign up if they are not willing,” she said.
Beukes further stated that (MSR) operates entirely on donations.
“We currently have a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the education ministry and are in the process of negotiating one with Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST),” she noted.
“This will help provide unemployed individuals with access to work-integrated learning and other academic resources.”
The Khomas region governor's public relations officer, Klaivert Mwandingi, said as of now, there is no specific programme under the office regarding unemployed men who stand at the roadside in search of work.
Mwandingi said Governor Sam Shafishuna Nujoma has been in office for about three months.
A 2023 report by the Namibia Statistics Agency highlighted that the national unemployment rate stands at 36.9%, with youth unemployment exceeding 44%.
Their presence has become a familiar sight to commuters, yet their individual stories are often overlooked.
Among them is Mario Van Zyl (26), who has been jobless for several years and survives through occasional piecework.
“Without any sleep most of the time I walk around Windhoek looking for anything gardening, painting, whatever someone needs,” Van Zyl said.
“Most days I get nothing. It’s exhausting but I don’t have a choice. I have a younger brother and sister to look after.”
Men on the Side of the Road
Unlike Van Zyl, Paulus Kaurembi did not begin his journey on the street.
He formally approached Men on the Side of the Road (MSR), a non-profit organisation that helps unemployed people connect with work opportunities.
Paulus trained as a welder at Levi Akuthembu Vocational Training Centre in Rundu but was forced to drop out due to financial struggles.
“Even though I couldn’t complete my course, I still use the skills I learnt to do small welding jobs,” he said. “(MSR) helped me find direction and understand how to look for work better.”
MSR CEO Crystal Beukes said the organisation, founded in 2007, initially assisted only men seeking informal work but expanded in the year 2016 to include any unemployed individual.
“We offer services like CV creation and job readiness training completely free of charge,” Beukes said. “The only requirement is that the person completes a two-day soft skills training that we offer.”
She added that (MSR) often sends representatives into public spaces to speak directly to those in need.
Memorandum of understanding
“But we cannot force people to sign up if they are not willing,” she said.
Beukes further stated that (MSR) operates entirely on donations.
“We currently have a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the education ministry and are in the process of negotiating one with Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST),” she noted.
“This will help provide unemployed individuals with access to work-integrated learning and other academic resources.”
The Khomas region governor's public relations officer, Klaivert Mwandingi, said as of now, there is no specific programme under the office regarding unemployed men who stand at the roadside in search of work.
Mwandingi said Governor Sam Shafishuna Nujoma has been in office for about three months.
A 2023 report by the Namibia Statistics Agency highlighted that the national unemployment rate stands at 36.9%, with youth unemployment exceeding 44%.
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