Charles Maisel

2004

Charles Maisel

Men on the Side of the Road

http://www.employmen.co.za/

Cape Town, South Africa

Civil and Human Rights, Community Improvement & Economic Development

The Bold Idea:

Increasing the economic opportunities of unskilled unemployed people by creating a bridge between employment opportunities and members.

MSR seeks to bridge the gap between the growing economy and unemployed people with low skills. The essence of their activities is to increase the ability of people to earn a sustainable income. The provision of short term employment does not address long term unemployment problems; neither does it build individuals skills to the level where there is long term demand for their services.

MSR promotes the recruitment, on a full or part time basis, of their members. They act as a link between employers and members. Members are recommended to employers based on our assessment of their skills either via direct assessment or via experience with previous employment. They focus on providing teams to contractors, events management, small SMME’s and private homeowners. Typical skill categories are: gardeners, landscapers, general workers, painters, bricklayers, plasterers, cleaners, tilers and site laborers.

Biography:

Charles has been involved in social development work over the past 15 years, concentrating mostly on the issue of domestic violence.

In an interview with Echoing Green, Charles talks about starting his organization and his hopes for the future.

Moment of obligation: When and why did you decide to start your organization?
Though MSR officially opened its doors as an organization in 2003, I began to develop the idea in 1999. I spent the subsequent years conducting personal and written research without any money or the aid of additional people. I had three separate realizations that catalyzed my conception of MSR; the numbers of men on the side of the road were growing, no one seemed to care and there were not any other initiatives combating the problem and the people on the side of the road were all men, a population seeming forgotten in the nonprofit and donor world.

Who do you look up to and why?
I look up to many, many people:

The majority of the great South African leaders in the struggle to end the apartheid. These men, Robert Sobukwe, Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Ronnie Kasril and Chris Hani, to name a few (there are so many more), all gave up everything for justice and continue to do so ten years into the South African democracy.

Ghandi. I see him as the greatest post modern social activist who has the ability to mobilize millions of people with the most simple and succinct campaigns to change the world.

The people of South Africa. They display an amazing patience, resilience and empathy for others.

Nir Tal. He is a farmer who always treated me like a son and a man who would never use force even to take out a pole.

My mother. She is a woman who displays amazing patience and never complains. She never sheds her responsibilities and is always available and constantly gives unconditional love.

A snapshot in ten years: What is your dream of what’s happening? What impact has your organization had?
My dream is to see an international body of unemployed people organized and lobbying as a unit to create jobs and skills as well as practical job creation initiatives. I would like to see the men on the side of the road doing it for themselves and generating their own resources.

In ten years, it is my hope that the MSR project has

1. Lobbied to stop police harassment for the unemployed
2. Created a tools library for the unemployed
3. Created national awareness in South Africa
4. Challenged current job and skills initiatives
5. Created thousands of jobs
6. Linked with big business to foster skills creation
7. Established government links
8. Lobbied for land to build toilets and provide water and shelter.

What is in your CD player right now?
I dont listen to music. I prefer silence and the sounds of rivers and mountains.

What are a few book recommendations (pleasure, work and anything in between)?

• A Door into Ocean by Joan Slonczewski
• A Man by Oriana Fallaci
• A Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle

What websites do you go to often?
www.google.com to search for anything on cicadas, rocks and recipes (Asian, African).

Quick piece of advice for people starting social change organizations:
Patience, perseverance, focus, uniqueness, skills and openness are all needed to become a social entrepreneur.