History
In 2007 it was noticed that a large group of individuals sat at strategic places around town, usually at traffic lights, hoping to be offered a job for the day. A group of caring individuals decided to start an organization dedicated to helping these individuals gain the necessary tools to find employment. In 2007 Men on the Side of the Road, (MSR), a Registered Welfare Organization, (Reg. No. WO348) and Incorporated Association Not for Gain (Reg. No. 21/2007/025) was created in Katutura, Namibia. The vision of the project was to empower the unemployed men who gather at municipal job sites in Windhoek to be better able to compete in the labour market through a comprehensive program of self-development, life skills training, and technical skills training. All of which gives the unemployed men the skills and confidence needed to actively seek long term job opportunities.
Expansion and Rebranding
Since the creation of MSR in 2007, we have grown both in Windhoek and in our new and expanded offices. In 2016, we moved the office from Katutura to Khomasdal in Windhoek, Namibia and then later in 2017, opened another office in Swakopmund. In 2016, we expanded our services to include all underprivileged unemployed people. At this point in time, MSR was re-branded to accurately address our new goals and services. This included creating new logos and allowing a larger demographic to use our facilities and services. In addition to expanding our physical presence, we have also been undergoing virtual expansion. In particular, we aim to have a presence in all regions of Namibia by partnering with other institutions, in order to offer our members a wide variety of trainings and opportunities.
Goals
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing our members with the skills and opportunities necessary to gain employment. Our intent is that by connecting the unemployed with training and employment opportunities, connecting employers with skilled employees, providing financial assistance to members for training, and by providing entrepreneurship assistance through training and mentoring, our members will be prepared to start their own business or gain employment.