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First former FairMail India photographer admitted into national university

Wednesday, September 20th, 2017

Former FairMail India photographer Anil Rao

Ever since FairMail India had to close its doors there has been less news about the teenagers who used to be part of the FairMail India team. But this time we have some huge news: Anil Rao managed to pass the entrance exam and get admitted to study chemistry, zoology and botany at the BHU University in Varanasi! Passing the entrance exam is normally already a huge achievement but Anil managed to do so with even bigger challenges in his personal life.

Anil’s father passes away

Anil entered FairMail India at the age of 14 and was always somewhat the professor of the group, aiming to become a big man as he called it by studying at the BHU university. Just before finishing high school his father passed away due to tuberculosis, leaving his family behind with Anil as the oldest son. At that moment, we were all terribly worried he would have to give up his academic aspirations in order to earn a living for his family. Luckily his mother managed to earn some money and Anil could work as assistant manager for FairMail India at the time.

Anil with his family

Fighting tuberculosis

When FairMail India had to close his doors our partner Asha Deep employed Anil by making him responsible for the teenagers’ money withdrawals from their FairMail funds. Then tragedy struck again, this time his sister got TBC causing new stress and of course the fear the disease would continue to spread within the family. Eventually it did and Anil was also diagnosed with TBC.

After fighting the disease during more than a year Anil’s health improved and he could focus full force again on his study and prepare for the entrance exam with private tuition.

A dream comes true

With as result that Anil passed the entrance exam. On the 20th of July 2017, his dream came true and he will start his 3 year bachelor study at the public university, aiming at specializing in chemistry after 2 years. As it is a public university the costs of studying are quite low, so Anil hopes to save the earnings from the continued sale of his FairMail cards for his master’s study in the future.

It goes without saying that we are extremely proud of Anil and hope that his success is a source of inspiration for the other former FairMail teenagers in his surroundings.

Tags: anil rao, education, results, social impact, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, India | No Comments »

Indian teenagers invest over 100.000 rupees in their housing

Friday, May 1st, 2015

Kaushal’s house with a new top floor

Despite the very sad news about FairMail India closing its doors in October 2014, we are happy that the sale of the Indian FairMail cards is still having a positive impact on the teenagers and their families. In the last few months of 2014 five of the teenagers invested more than 100.000 rupees (>1.500 euro) in the construction of their family homes.

For example 17 year old Aradhana started the construction of her families own house in the outskirts of Varanasi which means they will no longer have to pay rent from her father’s small wage as cart puller. Kaushal managed to provide his family with an improved second story of their home. Meanwhile Sandhya invested in fully replacing the tiny room she lived in with her entire family for a new 2 story house. Anil Kumar and Anil Rao also managed to make significant improvements to their homes and to provide due maintenance. In the case of Anil Rao allowing his family to earn more money renting out part of their home to other people.

Sandhya’s new home under construction

We are very happy with this tiny bit of good news after the difficult decision to close down FairMail India. Unfortunately our decision still seems like the least bad decision to take as tension between some of the former teenager’s families still persists. Also our former team member is still being held in jail since July 2014 on accusations which still haven’t been investigated properly. A very sad situation which seems increasingly difficult to influence despite our intents.

Tags: anil kumar, anil rao, aradhana, housing fund, impact, India, kaushal, Photographers, results, sandhya, social impact, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, India | No Comments »

FairMail’s new challenge

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

4 new FairMail co-managers

Besides being a social enterprise where teenagers earn money while learning, we have decided to expand the scope of our social impact to some of the retired ex-photographers, who leave the company at the age of 19. As of January 2014, both in Peru and India, FairMail’s daily management is in the hands of ex-photographers who have shown the desire and ability to grow professionally. A huge step for them to accept this new challenge and responsibility. And a huge challenge for us to decide to invest in training new managers internally instead of recruiting externally as FairMail did so far.

FairMail’s new policy to recruit new managers amongst the ex-teenagers has four big advantages:

Firstly it will help the selected ex-teenagers to grow professionally. For example in Peru the new managers are studying human resource management and to become a teacher. For both fields they will be able to practice part-time in FairMail what they learn at university in the meantime.

Secondly the new managers will be inspiring examples for the current teenagers of what you can achieve in life by working hard and being creative and responsible, even if you come from a difficult background.

Thirdly by working only with ex-teenagers we are sure to have managers on board who fully understand the essence of FairMail’s philosophy and who are happy to be able to give back to the organisation that helped them improve their lives.

Last but not least the money paid in wages by FairMail now ends up in the pockets of ex-teenagers who still really need the money. This way they are able to contribute directly to their family income or invest even more in their own education.

Apart from these four advantages our new policy also has risks. We have chosen to work with staff that has hardly any management experience. Running a business is a totally new experience for them which means a lot of time and effort has to be put in training them on the job. FairMail founders Peter and Janneke will be spending more of their time in Peru and India this year to give that training and guidance.

Read more about our new Peruvian managers Mariaflor Alvarado Reyes (22) and Yuli Silva Acuna (19) here.

And more about our new Indian managers Dhiraj Kannaujia (21) and Anil Rao (17) here.

Tags: anil rao, Dhiraj, India, maria_flor, Peru, teenagers, yuli
Posted in FairMail, India, Peru | No Comments »

FairMail India office evacuated due to floodings

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

View of the street from the FairMail office

Every year from June to September the heavy monsoon rains fall on India’s dry soil. This is vital for the rain fed agriculture. However this year intense rains have caused the worst flooding in the past 10 years. The situation got so bad that even the FairMail office got surrounded by the rising water and had to be evacuated.

The FairMail office is situated in Nagwa, in the pilgrim city of Varanasi on the borders of the holy Ganges river. The river had to carry so much rain water that the river left its borders. This happens every year during the monsoon. But this year the amount of water was so much that the water flooded parts of Nagwa too. First the water entered the houses of a few of our teenage photographers and their families.

FairMail teenagers helping to evacuate the volunteer from the FairMail office

The water just kept rising until also the streets around the FairMail office where flooded. There was no other option then to evacuate the FairMail office and look for another temporary housing option for our volunteer and to suspend the free photography classes until the office would be accessible again.

We were very lucky that the FairMail office is on the third story. Four of our teenagers were less lucky as they had to move themselves and their belongings to the roofs of their houses. Instead of being desperate their reaction was more calm. “You just have to manage it” is mostly their reply when the going gets tough.

FairMail teenager Anil Rao in front of his house

Like with FairMail teenagers Anil Rao who is brushing his teeth up to his knees in the water running through the street in front of his house. There is perhaps a lot of wisdom in their reaction. Because in the end it all comes down to how you handle a situation and can manage with the means you do have available. Like this man on a rikshaw below.

You have to manage it

Tags: anil rao, environment, FairMail, housing, India, office
Posted in FairMail, India | No Comments »

FairMail India photographer Anil Rao back in school

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

FairMail India photographer Anil Rao

I am Anil Rao from an old Indian city called Varanasi. I am 16 years old. I have a part time job as a photographer in fair trade card company called FairMail which gives me 50% of the profit of the cards printed with pictures taken by me. This money I only can spend on my educational and housing needs.

In India the government schools are made for the poor students. But these schools don’t teach so nicely and the student has to work hard if he has studied at these schools and wants to go for higher studies. With the financial conditions of my family I could only afford to go to the government schools where the condition for studying is not so good. The only way to get good conditions for studying is to get admission in private English school which asks for high fees every month. This amount couldn’t be afforded by my family. After getting a part time job in FairMail I earned the amount of money which was sufficient for me to pay the fees of a good private school.

Anil and his family

When I initially went in to my new school (which was private) I was the only guy who had weak financial conditions in his family. I was so uncomfortable to go to school because I didn’t have so many nice friends. It was hard for me to convince my mind to go to school. Regularly I was suspended from FairMail for one month for not going to school. But slowly I made nice friends and started going to school every day. And as a result I got good marks in my recent exams. And slowly I got out of the special teenage condition and convinced my mind that this is my school.

Tags: anil rao, earnings, education, India, results, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, India | No Comments »

Indian photographers greet Europe

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

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:

Date	Activity
mon 11 June	Leave Delhi, arrival in Amsterdam (05.45 am), Relax
Tue 12 June	Amsterdam tour, visit World Press Photo 19.30 Kick-off event Café Noorderlicht, NDSM terrain, Amsterdam
Wed 13 June	Waalwijk, Context Cards logistics & market research
Thurs 14 June	The Hague: ASN Bank office Delft: Stanislas College, Delft worldshop & presentation
Fri 15 June	Amstedam: Greetz headquarters & market research & interview
Sat 16 June	Festival Mundial Tilburg – photo exhibition
Sun 17 June	Festival Mundial Tilburg – photo exhibition
Mon 18 June	Culemborg: Visit Cash & Carry Fair Trade Original. Travel to Hamburg, relax & welcome party
Tues 19 June	Hamburg & Kiel: shop visit
Wed 20 June	Munster & Halle: visit shop and distribution center
Thurs 21 June	Wurzburg: shop visit and interview
Fri 22 June	Geneve: Visit to Co-op supermarket in Zurich and interview
Sat 23 June	Freiburg: Visit shop
Sun 24 June	Freiburg: Visit Europapark
Mon 25 June	Travel to Paris
Tues 26 June	Free in Paris
Wed 27 June	Paris: meet La Carterie marketing team, photographer and interview
Thurs 28 June	Reims: meet sales team Reims & interview
Fri 29 June	Rennes: meet sales team Rennes & interview
Sat 30 June	Back to Amsterdam and free
Sun 1 July	Amsterdam: Free
Mon 2 July	Amsterdam: write marketing report and make presentation for FairMail India team
Tues 3 July	Amsterdam: Departure to (11.30 am), arrival India (22.50 pm)

Tags: anil rao, Dhiraj, France, Germany, promotion, switzerland
Posted in FairMail, Germany, India | No Comments »

FairMail’s European promotion tour ready to start

Friday, May 18th, 2012

FairMail is ready to get started with it’s European promotional tour that will take place from the 11th of June until the 3rd of July 2012. Special guests are two of FairMail India’s teenage photographers, Dhiraj and Anil. We just thought “Who is better at explaining the unique story behind the FairMail Cards and the impact it has on the life of its teenage photographers than the photographers themselves?”

Destinations

During the three week tour they will be visiting The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium (download the itinerary here). In each country they will be promoting FairMail via interviews with the media, meetings with the shops and sales people that sell their cards and of course directly with the people that buy their cards at public music festivals. Besides promotion the other goal of the trip is that they investigate “their” Western greeting card market. What kind of pictures sell well, what are the latest trends and what is the competition doing? Back home in India they will present and share their valuable market knowledge with their fellow young photographers so the whole team is better equipped to sell to their main market. Besides these “serious” goals the trip will simple be the trip of their lifetime and a chance to meet up with former photography volunteers and participant of the photography trips to India in the past. What an experience!

Meet the teenagers

For you it is a unique possibility to meet the teenagers in person, hear their personal story and ask any questions you want. Feel free to hook up with us anywhere along the road. Find out when we will be close to you by downloading the travel itinerary here.

On the 12 of June we are also organizing a kick-off event for the tour in Amsterdam. The teenagers will present themselves, we will be showing a movie about their life in India and what there work for FairMail looks like, opening of a photography exhibition and an American auction of one of their photographs. It will be a big party and a great chance to meet them. You can download your invitation here.

For more information about the promotional tour, meeting the teenagers of for organizing an interview with them please contact Peter:

peter@fairmail.info

00-31-(0)6-52020467

Tags: anil rao, Dhiraj, promotion, promotion tour, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, France, Germany, India | No Comments »

Two Indian FairMail teenagers visit Europe in June

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

FairMail India photographer Dhiraj

What’s happening?

In June two Indian FairMail teenagers are coming to Europe to promote their greeting cards and learn more about the European card market they sell their pictures to. If all goes according to plan Anil Rao (15 years old) and Dhiraj Kannaujiya (19 years old) will travel through Europe between the 11^th of June and the 3^rd of July 2012. During this period they will visit the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium.

FairMail India photographer Anil

Preparations being made:

We are currently busy preparing their travel schedule in which they will visit their most important clients, do press interviews, open picture exhibitions and sell their cards directly to consumers at different consumer festivals. If you have any suggestions or contacts to help get press coverage for the teenagers’s visit please contact us by clicking here!

Hope for the best & pray for the rest:

Now all we have to hope for is that also Anil gets his passport in time (he has already been waiting over 7 months!) and that the visa application on Monday the first of May goes well.

A big thank you for:

The Promotional tour would not have been possible without the kind financial and organizational support of: FairMail Distribution Partner in Germany, La Carterie in France, Fair Trade shop in Delft and the Fair Media Foundation in the Netherlands.

Tags: anil rao, Dhiraj, France, Germany, promotion
Posted in FairMail, France, Germany, India | No Comments »

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