Lesotho's garment industry is one of the country's largest sources of private employment and supports many households. As factories closed and orders weakened, a former worker described returning to factory gates to queue and hope for a job. Employment is not guaranteed at the end of the line, but staying away can mean losing even the chance to be considered.
A recruitment queue differs from a line for a product: the people waiting bring their own experience, skills and time for assessment. Garment workers wait to learn whether they can re-enter an industry they already know. The line holds hope, but it also shows how changes in global clothing demand arrive at the scale of one household.