Men on the Side of the Road

Men on the Side of the Road (MSR) was launched in 1999 with partners in various Provincial Departments of Social Services, and other Local Governments including corporate sponsors Pick n' Pay, Nedcor, FirstRand Foundation, Old Mutual, and Supergroup.  Originally, MSR began as an organisation trying to provide basic amenities, such as toilets, water, and shade, to the unemployed who congregated at 500 "job sites" across South Africa.  As the goals of the project changed through interaction with job seekers and employment providers, services offered changed as well. The project shifted into a process of helping to find employment, for the 50 000 men standing on the side of the road nationwide, through skills and infrastructure development along with job creation.

To help organise the unemployed men into a cohesive unit the project organised a federation of labourers, composed of 1 500 members, called Masiphumele Unemployed Federation.  All the members of the Federation are registered in the project database, and carry a card with a description of the skills they posses, enabling the project to place participants into jobs with greater ease.  The provision of relevant training to persons who might otherwise lack those skills is streamlined using a community database system. 

The Provincial Department of Labour in the Western Cape provides funds for vocational training with registered service providers. Once trained, the unemployed gain employment via a placement service operating through a partnership between the Men on the Side of the Road project and the Masiphumele Unemployed Federation.  As part of the skills development component, Small Business development training is offered, and those with potential are provided with tools to start their own small businesses (construction, carpentry, gardening, mechanical repairs and drivers).  Using the resources proved through the education and tool lending offered by the programme some of the previously unemployed participants are now in management and training positions.

As part of a public branding campaign entitled the Tools Project, partners in government and the private sector have donated the necessary funding, equipment and land to set up "Tool Shacks".  50 000 tools have been collected and repaired by the unemployed for lending, and 3 000 tools have been purchased by members in order to generate capacity for labourers.  This programme has contributed to the start-up of 20 new businesses that utilise the services offered at the "Tool Shacks".      

Innovation

MSR is the first to organise the unemployed, located at "job sites", into a federation of labourers.  This project also created a comprehensive placement programme using the database resources at the Masiphumele Unemployed Federation.  Also, the Tools Project has allowed participants of the programme, in townships who other could not afford to purchase the necessary equipment, to access resources for entrepunurial enterprises.

Effectiveness

50 000 tools have been donated and the unemployed are employed to fix them.  20 small businesses composed of cleaning, garden services, tool collection, and tool repair have been established.  3000 tools have been sold to enable people to maintain their homes or create business opportunities. The federation comprises 1 500 members, and the demand for workers trained by the project is so high that the project is unable to meet the needs of the market. Since its inception, 800 people have received training and 90% have become employed.

Poverty Impact

An estimated 2000 people have been empowered through the federation and the training courses, while 600 people are now able to provide for the needs of their families.

Sustainability

The project has secure funding from government and the ongoing needs of the unemployed and corporate sponsors suggest that its sustainability is guaranteed for at least the next three years.

Replication

The project has expanded into 4 additional provinces including the Western Cape, Gauteng, Pretoria, Northern Cape.

Partnerships

•Provincial Departments of Social Services (Western Cape, Limpopo,  Gauteng, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga)
•Provincial Department of Labour (Western Cape)
•Local Governments (Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein, Upington, Cape Town)
•Non Government Organisations
•Private Sector