Two Indian teenage photographers will travel to Europe to tell the unique story behind their fairtrade greetings cards: How by taking pictures for their own greeting cards they where able to improve their life and pay for their own education. During the last three years the teenagers sold more then 1 million cards in 14 countries. Now they have become inspiring examples for their surrounding showing that they have the will and creativity to break the chain of poverty themselves.

The teenage photographers from India will travel through the Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland taking with them a photo exhibition, a documentary about their lives and participating in different public events. This will take place between the 11th of June and the 3rd of July. On the 12th of June there will be a kick-off event for the tour in Cafe Noorderlicht on the NDSM terrain in Amsterdam.

Download your invitation for this event here.

Both teenagers of 16 and 19 years old live in the Nagwa slum of the Indian city of Varanasi. It is in this part of the city that many inhabitants come from the lower castes in Indian society of which some earn an income collecting animal dung and leather tanners. Many of the youngsters are forced to work at a young age to supplement the family income. This means there is no time and no money to go to school. With FairMail they earn the money that is necessary to go to school by themselves.

FairMail is a company that produces fair trade greeting cards in Peru, India and soon in Morocco too! The pictures on the FairMail cards are taken by deprived teenagers from Peru, India and Morocco. On the back of each card you can see the name, age, email, age and picture of the teenager who took the picture. FairMail provides these teenagers with free photography training, part-time work, health insurance and guidance in making their future plans. The teenagers receive 50% of the profit made from the sale of their own cards to finance their housing and education. FairMail is a monitored member of the World Fair Trade Organization.

Schedule FairMail Promotion Tour June 2012

You are more then welcome to visit any of the activities below: