Posts Tagged ‘maria’

FairMail for and by local teenagers: Anidela and Angeles new co-managers

Monday, April 24th, 2017
Our new co-managers Anidela and Angeles

Our new co-managers Anidela and Angeles

Since the 1st of April FairMail Peru has a new co-management team: former teenage photographers Anidela and Angeles take over the tasks of Maria Flor and Betty who are both pursuing new goals to study and work abroad.

For and by local teenagers

We have very good experiences with employing former teenagers for management positions since 2014 when Maria Flor, Yuli and later also Betty became the local managers. This way FairMail Peru not only exists for local teenagers but also exists thanks to the same teenagers who make promotion into a coordinating function.

To be honest, we already had a bit of an eye on Anidela and Angeles since we selected them for FairMail’s European promotional tour in 2015. Since then our confidence in these two 19 year old girls has only grown. And with their continued focus on their education they are great examples for the current teenagers of what you can achieve with a motivated and responsible attitude.

Anidela when she entered FairMail in 2011

Anidela when she entered FairMail in 2011

Angeles when she entered FairMail in 2013c

Angeles when she entered FairMail in 2013

Big challenges ahead

After a one month training period they officially started on the 1st of April 2017. Anidela says “what I like about my job is to be able to develop myself on a personal and professional level and at the same time help the teenagers with their photography through my own ideas and suggestions.”. Of course their young age and little management experience will make their new jobs all the more challenging. Angeles says about this: “my biggest challenge will be to win the trust of the teenagers, Peter and Janneke. I hope they will put their trust in me so we can have a good relationship and communication. Because that is the basis for FairMail to function well.

Thank you Maria flor and Betty!

The first weeks look very promising and we very much look forward to see them grow further. We would like to thank Maria Flor and Betty one more time for their great work as co-managers for FairMail Peru for 3 years and 1 year respectively. And we wish them all the best in finding a great family in the United States where they hope to be working as Au Pair very soon.

From Mud to Money

Thursday, February 4th, 2016
Angeles' winning fair trade photograph

Angeles’ winning fair trade photograph

The building site of FairMail’s future office in the Casi Casa complex already proved useful as background for a tailor made card order from one of our corporate customers.

The Dutch eco-building company “Building Traditions” asked our teenagers to come up with an image transmitting the company’s values: diversity, sustainability and cooperation. As Building Traditions offers eco-friendly mud built housing solutions to its clients the FairMail teenagers needed a nice and quiet place with a lot of mud to work on their ideas!

After drawing their ideas on paper and presenting it to their fellow team members they got to work, often inviting little brother, sisters and neighbours as models for their fair trade photographs. Besides using Casi Casa as photography set the kids also took pictures at local archaeological sites (the world’s largest mud city Chan Chan), at a mud brick factory and in their own neighbourhoods.

FairMail Peru photographer Angeles

FairMail Peru photographer Angeles

In the end 18 year old Angeles shot the winning image of her niece playing with mud in the street where they live. Christo, Building Traditions director, choose this fair trade image for their corporate card to send to their customers and relations. Angeles received 60% of the profit FairMail made to invest in her own education. Money that  was very welcome as she is currently preparing for the university entrance exam to study Social Work.

Building Traditions fair trade E-card

Building Traditions fair trade E-card

If you would also like the FairMail teenagers to go on a photography assignment for you, please contact us here so we can send you more information.

More and more corporate customers are helping teenagers into the school benches

Wednesday, September 16th, 2015

In pursuit of diversifying the income from the photography by the teenagers we are happy to see that more and more companies and organisations are asking FairMail to provide fairtrade images for their communications. This way not only helping the teenagers earn money to pay for their own education, but also providing added inspirational value for their communications.

Here are 3 examples of corporate communication helping teenagers into the school benches:

Fairtrade FairMail photography for ASN Bank year report

Fairtrade FairMail photography for ASN Bank year report

Year Report ASN Bank Foundation

The ethical ASN Bank has been a regular customer of FairMail for years now. For the 2014 year report of their foundation they asked FairMail to produce images of fair trade coffee producers in Peru. During the photography trip along the Organic Coffee Route Diana and Angeles shot images of the coffee farming family they stayed with for a couple of days. Allowing them to pay for their university education.

Producer images for fairtrade distributor El Puente

El Puente is one of Germany’s biggest distributors for the 800 German fairtrade shops. To communicate the story behind their fairtrade products they wanted pictures of their Peruvian producers. Therefor in November, 3 FairMail teenagers will travel to the capital of Lima for 3 days to visit 9 producer groups. Their pictures will not only show how they work, but also the impact fairtrade has on their lives.

Juan Gabriel shooting fairtrade photographs for Hostal Naylamp

Juan Gabriel shooting fairtrade photographs for Hostal Naylamp

Hotel Naylamp Website

Hotel Naylamp is based in the Peruvian fishing village of Huanchaco, just like FairMail Peru. When they wanted to update their website they asked the teenagers to shoot images of their rooms, restaurant and guests. Guided by 2 of our volunteer photography trainers they took the requested images during 4 FairMail classes. Definitely something different compared to shooting for FairMail’s Christmas cards!

If you would like the FairMail teenagers to provide images for your employer’s communication, please contact us here.

New documentary: “Photography against child labour”

Wednesday, July 15th, 2015

This new 11 minute documentary shows the harsh conditions under which children have to work in Peru and the contribution a social enterprise like FairMail makes to change these situations.

The documentary had its premiere just before FairMail’s European tour with Peruvian teenagers Anidela and Angeles and got its first media coverage. Told from these two teenagers’ perspective gives the issue of child labour a face and the interviews with their parents gives the viewer a deeper insight into the complex problems at the root of the issue.

The documentary also shows how Anidela and Angeles manage to make a structural change to their lives by taking pictures for FairMail. And how they can now go to university through the sale of their cards. This way not only providing themselves with a better future, but also for their parents and other people around them.

Besides the 11 minute full version there is also a short version (5 min) available and full length versions with German, Dutch and Spanish subtitles.

On demand the documentary can be sent on a DVD for public viewing. Please contact us for more information and shipping costs.

Results of European tour

Wednesday, July 15th, 2015
Anidela and Angeles, the stars of the European tour

Anidela and Angeles, the stars of the European tour

In July two of FairMail’s teenage photographers toured Europe to tell the unique story behind their cards to as many people as possible. And to learn more about their card market. The tour was a big adventure for Anidela and Angeles who had never been in an airplane before. They were welcomed like stars in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Tour d'Europe

Tour d’Europe

During the 17 day tour they drove more than 3.000 kilometers. Amongst which 25 kilometers by bicycle. Something that left a lasting impression on them. Not only because they felt quite tired in the end, but also because they noticed how it helps clear and relax your mind. They were also impressed by how creative people in Europe decorate their houses and how well things are organised over here. And that there are many, many card spinners in the shops which their cards have to compete with.

Meeting their customers for the first time

Meeting their customers for the first time

In order to do so they made a PowerPoint presentation for their colleagues in Peru with the most important findings of their market research and suggestions to improve the offering for their customers.

Click here to see the pictures of their trip

Visiting Greetz headquarters

Visiting Greetz headquarters

The most important results of the trip were:

4 articles in the media

7 visits to FairMail’s business partners

8 visits to shops selling FairMail cards

6 presentations about FairMail to a wide audience

2 photography exhibits

1 unforgettable experience for Anidela and Angeles.