MEN NOT AT WORK - FINALIST
SOUTH AFRICA

It's a familiar sight in South Africa: hundreds of men standing by the side of the road, waiting patiently to be hired for casual labour. An estimated 100,000 people per day are to be found seeking work in this way, distributed among 500 roadside waiting centres. With unemployment in the country at 45 per cent, their wait is often in vain. It's a practice corrosive to a man's dignity. "Men on the Side of the Road" works to improve the job prospects and quality of life of the roadside labourers. A registration system has been developed to assess the skills and abilities of individuals as they wait for work. Training courses and job placements are offered - in partnership with qualified training partners - to enhance employability. The project has also started a tool-lending scheme to enable the unemployed to set themselves up in various businesses. Some 50,000 new and recycled tools have been donated so far in response to a public campaign - tools in poor condition are repaired by the unemployed themselves. Those who remain without work are encouraged to improve conditions at the waiting sites by building roadside toilets, shelters and wells. The achievements of the project have been recognised by the United Nations, which awarded Men on the Side of the Road its AGFUND prize for 2003.