There are already many videos online showing what FairMail does on our YouTube channel. What was still missing was a video where the teenagers themselves explain what a day in the office looks like, what FairMail means to them and what they have gotten out of it.
In this video you can learn it all and more, in their own words.
FairMail photography trip “La Ruta del Cacao”
In the end of July 5 of FairMail’s teenage photographers set off for a 10 day photography trip to the Peruvian Amazon. Together with 6 photo fanatics from the USA, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands they followed the “Cacao Route” learning all about the cultivation, harvesting and processing of cacao. Besides taking amazing cacao photos for our stock photography clients they also worked hard on images for FairMail’s new greeting card collection.
Watch photo’s of the trip here or check out this short video to get an impression of the amazing trip:
Information session FairMail photography trip
On the 8th of October we are organizing an information session for those interested in coming along with us during one of the next trips. Read more here.
Video update by FairMail Peru photographer Anidela
The great thing about the FairMail cards is that you can see on the back of each card who you are supporting directly with your purchase. Each FairMail teenager has his or her own story about dreams, hardships, passions and getting ahead in life.
We have now updated the personal profile pages of our current photographers in Peru with 9 new recorded video updates. You can view all of them below or on each teenager’s personal profile page.
Helping Diana to take her perfect picture
Right after New Year the entire FairMail Peru team set off on a 10 day adventure into the Peruvian cloud forest.
Tucked away in a river valley on the Amazon side of the Andes mountains, this destination offered all we needed: Beautiful nature to be used as background to shoot great pictures for the new card collections, descending into deep caves and long muddy hikes for some serious team building, the world’s second highest waterfall which the teenagers would otherwise never be able to see as family holidays are a luxury which can’t be afforded and hot thermal baths for some fun and relaxation after all the hard work.
This short video gives a good impression of the great fun we had, the beautiful landscapes we saw and how hard and motivated the team of teenagers, volunteer photography trainers and staff worked on bringing home some great shots.
If you want to join us on our next photography trip to the Peruvian Amazon in July read more here or join us during our next information session on FairMail’s photography trips.
FairMail Peru photographer Paul telling about his highs and lows
For the Peruvian teenagers 2015 was a year full of broken bones, broken friendships, getting first place, getting promoted, valuable lessons in life and many other things.
Especially for you, we asked the teenagers to update their personal profile pages with last year’s highs and lows. Plus their plans for the coming year, explaining how they plan to use their part of the earnings from the sale of their fair trade FairMail cards to enter university, study English and start a new business among other things.
Click here to read their own stories.
We also uploaded short new videos of the 4 newest FairMail teenagers presenting themselves which you can view below:
Video: The path of a fair trade Christmas Card
“Who actually takes the pictures on FairMail cards?” Every now and then we get this question from our customers.
This short video shows you all the steps from the initial creative card idea by former FairMail photographer Aradhana from India, via a customer in the west actually buying her fair trade card in a shop, all the way to Aradhana investing her part of the earnings in her own education.
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.
FairMail Peru team on the photography trip into the Peruvian Andes
In January the Peruvian FairMail teenagers set out on an unforgettable photography trip into the Peruvian Andes.
Accompanied by 4 foreign photography travelers and 2 volunteer photography trainers the group of 12 climbed up to 4.000 meters above sea level before descending again in the inter-Andean valley around Huamachuco, Peru. This proved to be the perfect base camp for excursions to nearby high altitude lakes, thermal hot springs, hikes to authentic Andean villages and pre-Inca ruins. The trip was the perfect mix between discovering off-the-beaten-track destinations, working hard on pictures for new FairMail cards and a lot of fun and laughter together. Check out the video we made of the trip to see for yourself:
Or click here for pictures of this great trip!
There are three more FairMail photography trips planned for the coming months. Including a breath taking trip into the Cordillera Blanca in the end of July where we climb up to a beautiful 4.600 meter high glacial lake together. To learn more about FairMail’s photography trips, click here.
FairMail photography trip to the Cordillera Blanca
FairMail was featured in the Dutch television program called “Grensverleggers”.
This national business TV channel is covering Dutch entrepreneurs running their social enterprises abroad to create social impact.
The 12 minute episode about FairMail shows the teenagers taking pictures for Ben & Jerry’s corporate Christmas cards on the beach.
Below you can view the episode with English subtitles.
Would you like the teenagers to make pictures for your employer’s Christmas cards? And at the same time have the chance to win a photography trip in Peru for you and a friend? Then click here and see how you can win.
FairMail Peru team after the coffee harvest
In August 5 Peruvian FairMail teenagers travelled with 5 foreign photography amateurs high into the Peruvian cloud forest. Besides taking pictures for the new FairMail cards, their goal was to learn more about the route an organic coffee bean takes from the field to the cup.
To do so we started in the tiny rural village of Sicches near the border with Ecuador. This little town, situated on the humid side of the Andes, is inhabited by farmers who are members of a fair trade coffee coop.
By staying with these farmers for a couple of days the teenagers learned not only about the coffee chain but also about how their fellow countrymen and -women live in a very different environment than the teenagers themselves are used to. After a few days of coffee harvesting, photo shooting and sugar cane cutting, the trip continued to the coffee processing plant. There the teenagers learned about the final stages of production before the coffee is exported to Europe.
Watch the video of the trip here:
If you fancy travelling with the teenagers on one of their next trips click here or come to the next information session on the 8th of November 2014 in Rosmalen, The Netherlands. To register or for more information about the information session please click here.