Manica Group donates N$80K to Men on the Side of the Road for administrative support

Men at the Side of the Road (MSR), an NGO that has been around for a long time teaching unemployed persons specific trades and skills, or helping them prepare for job applications, has just received a significant boost to bolster their inhouse capacity at their two coastal branches.

The MSR branches in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are bustling with activity, said the Director, Crystal Beukes, indicating that the administrative workload has increased to such a level that a full-time person was needed to man the Walvis Bay office.

“We have more than 3,000 registered members on our database and have managed to enroll some for training, connected them to jobs and assisted them to start their own businesses,” she said adding that the volunteers who typically take care of the admin, leave when they find other employment.

When Manica Group Namibia entered the equation, a solution was at hand. Manica donated N$80,400 to MSR with the purpose of finding and appointing an administrative clerk on a full-time basis, for the Walvis Bay office.

Since 2007 when Men on the Side of the Road was founded in Windhoek, the organisation has been instrumental in placing thousands of job seekers with prospective employers. To grow this momentum, MSR is always on the lookout for partners in the private sector for possible job placements.

“All our members receive training in life skills and financial literacy. Other training includes first aid, safety, computer skills and vocational training as our budget allows, ” she said.

MSR’s mission is to change lives by connecting the unemployed with job and training opportunities. MSR provides soft skills training, financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills, communication skills, conflict management, CV writing, interview preparation and mentorship to assist the unemployed in their search for a job.

Manica supported MSR in the past; notably with the refurbishment and branding of their Walvis Bay office building, and has also employed MSR members in some of its cargo handling operations.

Beukes expressed her gratitiude for the donation adding that the funds “will form part of co-funding from a German organisation who also supports MSR. I am grateful for the assistance, and I wish to continue working with Manica for more job placements.”