Roadside job hunting

Following the conclusion of the National Labour Force Survey which found that the unemployment rate had increased by 6.1%, organisations like Men on Side of the Road (MSR) were established to help curb the high unemployment rate amongst Namibians, in this case, able young men. Earlier this year, the Namibia Statistics Agency said that roughly 349 383 people are currently looking for work but are unable to find jobs, resulting in an unemployment rate of 34%. Hilya Kambanda, training and PR coordinator of MSR said in an interview with the Namibian Sun that the overall vision of the project is to “empower unemployed men and women to be better able to compete in the labour market through self-development programmes.” According to Kambanda, this in turn gives them the necessary skills to secure jobs. MSR is responsible for giving vocational training to men who are unqualified. This training focuses on various fields ranging from bricklaying, forklift driving, gardening and plumbing. “Since our establishment in 2007, we have about 1 200 registered job seekers of which 364 received training and 287 were placed in fulltime or part time jobs,” said Kambanda. Although she listed these statics as successes, Kambanda added that it is a challenging task getting these men off the streets to receive proper training. “It is something that does not happen overnight. Most of these men have not even received basic education,” she added. MSR is welfare organisation that depends on donor funding and as such, it is constantly in search of individuals and companies that can either aid them financially help with training. As with most organisations of this nature, MSR experiences a shortage of funds which limits the amount of beneficiaries that can receive training. “Every day, we receive men who interested in being registered with us and gain new skills, but training is very expensive,” she added. MSR has also tried partnering with different companies to increase chances of employment and internships for trained men. MSR has a newly established the project in Swakopmund, but it is not yet officially opened. “We would like to branch out to more regions in the country and we know there are many that need us in these different areas,” said Kambanda. Every day, men from informal settlements come to the different pickup sites in Windhoek and wait for someone to pick them and give them a day’s job. Kambanda however urged the public to request MSR membership cards. This will show that the individual is a member and therefore, safe to employ. The MSR pickup sites are public areas and it is easy for criminals to masquerade as someone looking for work. While this has not yet happened, Kambanda says the public must be aware.Although MSR tries to combat unemployment, their registered men told the Namibian Sun that finding a job is very difficult and it is a depressing task. Thomas Hiskia, a registered and trained member of MSR since 2009 in the field of forklift driving says he has not received work since his registration. “None of my mates that finished training with me got work either. I do not know what the problem is,” remarked Hiskia. He also informed the Namibian Sun that on average, only one person amongst the men at the pickup sites are taken in for a day’s work. Angula David, from the Omusati Region also shared the same concerns and he too has also not received any formal employment since his registration in 2008. He is qualified in the fields of plumbing, interlocking, gardening and general work. A father of two, David walks every morning from Havana. He leaves at 04:00 in the morning and reaches the site before 06:00. “I came to Windhoek in search of employment, but life is even worse here. I walk back home empty handed and it is very stressful,” he said. “We are all poor here, so it is difficult to help each other. If your friend gets a job, he can help with N$5 for bread.” Another resident from the Omusati Region, Petrus Kendjele was registered in 2010 and said the stress of poverty and unemployment can be very depressing. He said two men committed suicide over the years due to the “hunger of not getting work”. On an average day, these men are hoping for the best and are praying that the day does not force them to walk back to their families empty-handed. TUNOHOLE MUNGOBA

Roadside job hunting

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-31

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Roadside job hunting

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-31

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