Press Releases - 14 July 2010
Mandela Day 2010: Make SA work, and fix our schools
MEDIA
RELEASE
July
14, 2010
“Mandela
Day 2010 – Make South Africa work and fix our schools”
Members of the public can
donate money towards the restoration of local schools, as their way of
commemorating Mandela Day 2010.
On July 18 this year, all
South Africans have been invited to give 67 minutes of their time to projects
that honour the life and spirit of Nelson Mandela.
The NGO Men On the Side
of the Road (MSR) has thrown its full support behind the Mandela Day campaign.
MSR is a marketplace for casual workers where men gather at organised
collection points in seven cities across South Africa.
MSR has decided to focus on
the restoration of schools, as a way of linking with the education theme of
this year’s Mandela Day.
“Not everyone can give
their time to the Mandela Day campaign. Instead, why not donate 67 minutes of
their earnings,” suggested Peter Kratz, national director for MSR. “Our
registered painters and builders in seven cities can be called in to fix local
schools in dire need of a facelift. The money donated by members of the public
will make this restoration work possible and cover the costs of hiring workers
and purchasing materials.”
Customers in seven cities
can visit MSR collection points if they are looking for workers, on a part time
or contract basis, that are able, trustworthy and skilled in particular areas.
MSR have verified all their skills and workers have identity cards on them at
all time.
With unemployment at critical levels, the MSR aims to
facilitate the placement of skilled and semi skilled workers in part-time or
full-time work. For as little as R120 per day potential employers can hire a
reliable and trustworthy worker.
Kratz hopes
that members of the public will nominate a school in their community which is
in need of restoration work. The money they donate will be used for work on
that specific school, to help make quality education a reality for its
learners.
Donations can be deposited
at Standard Bank, account name MEN ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, account number 070-956-383 (reference MD).
Call 0861 WORKER (0861 967537), email info@employmen.co.za or visit www.employMen.co.za for more info.
Ends
Issued
by:
HWB
Communications (Pty) Ltd
Contact: Martin Slabbert
Telephone: (021)
462 0416
Fax: (021)
462 0427
Mobile : 079
500 1503
Email: martin@hwb.co.za
On behalf of: Men on the Side of
the Road (MSR)
Editors Notes:
·
MSR is a marketplace for
thousands of casual workers.
·
MSR has organised collection points in seven cities around South Africa.
·
Customers can collect a worker for part-time, contract or full-time
work, knowing that the people the hire are able, trustworthy and skilled in
particular areas.
·
Details of all MSR members are loaded onto a database, which carries a
record of their identity number and photograph, skills training, references and
recommendations, ensuring customers will be matched with the best worker for a
particular job, be it building, rubble removal, gardening, cleaning or window
washing, to name a few.
· MSR started out of a human rights initiative back in 2001 when men were being arrested for “loitering” (which implies without intent), while in fact they were gathering to find work at various collection points around the city. The Cape High Court ruled that these men had a right to seek work. A local businessman, Charles Maisel, took a particular interest in the case and the plight of these men to survive and founded MSR. Since then, Peter Kratz, who heard about the project on returning to South Africa after living abroad for six years, has become involved and is dedicates much of his time to developing the organization.
· MSR is now a nationwide force representing thousands of work seekers of both genders in all the main cities in the country.
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