In a powerful display of community collaboration, students from the Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN) took the lead in organizing a beach cleaning event yesterday to address the increasing presence of plastic waste along the northern Peruvian coastline, and FairMail was proud to stand alongside them in this impactful initiative.
What We Found
The FairMail photographers and the UPN students, combed through the sandy stretches, armed with gloves and bags, collecting an alarming amount of plastic waste. The litter included single-use plastics, discarded bottles, and remnants of packaging that, if left unchecked, could have found their way into the delicate marine ecosystem.
Peru’s Pacific coast faces a growing threat from ocean plastic pollution. The alarming statistics reveal the urgency of collective action: the ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) estimates that approximately 14 million tons of plastic enter the world’s oceans each year, adversely affecting marine life, ecosystems, and human health. What’s wrost is that this number is expected to triple by 2040.
The Pacific coast of Peru, with its rich marine biodiversity, is particularly vulnerable to this crisis. The plastic waste found on our beaches is just a fraction of what lurks beneath the surface, posing severe threats to the marine life that calls these waters home.
FairMail’s Commitment to Sustainable Practices
At FairMail, we believe in the power of collective action to drive positive change. Joining forces with the UNP students in this beach cleaning event aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility and community engagement. The simple act of cleaning the beach serves as a poignant reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and preserve our natural resources.
Stay tuned for more updates on our environmental initiatives and community engagement efforts. Let’s keep our beaches clean and our oceans thriving!
as is around the corner and this year we decided to give a little twist to our Amigo Secreto (Secret Santa) gift-exchange tradition. Although in FairMail we have always tried to avoid the trap of consumerism, we realize that excessive consumption has a momentous impact on our planet, and to put it simply, we don’t like that. Way too often we end up spending money to buy things that we don’t need just because at Christmas you are kind of supposed to. For these and many other reasons, we decided to further simplify our Christmas by inspiring the teenagers with the ethical hierarchy of gift exchange. 
Gifts can surely come in many forms, including the non-physical. Giving your time, sharing your skills, creating memories bring more value to both the giver and the receiver. By shifting the focus from material gifts to shared experiences we hope to see the teenagers bond and have a more meaningful Christmas.
Net als elk jaar is het altijd weer een spannend moment als de Fotograaf van het jaar wordt gekozen bij FairMail. Alle tieners willen deze prestigieuze titel wel krijgen. Maar wat betekent het nou precies om fotograaf van het jaar te zijn en hoe gaat de verkiezing in z’n werk? En 
We begonnen de dag met een workshop over feedback geven door onze vrijwilligster Jet. De tieners leerden hoe ze op een volwassen en constructieve manier feedback kunnen geven. Dat komt meteen ook van pas tijdens de fotografie lessen! Ze zijn zich nu meer bewust hoe belangrijk goed luisteren is en het verwoorden van je commentaar op een manier die niet kwetsend is.
Na het uitdelen van de kaarten kwam het feest goed op gang. Ook al was het een hete, Peruaanse zomerdag, tóch dronken we warme chocomelk en ate we heerlijk kerstbrood van Mundo Pan (de bakkerij van het straatjongenstehuis Mundo de Ninos waar we mee samenwerken) en broodjes kip gemaakt door onze lokale managers Anidela en Angeles.
