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Posts Tagged ‘results’

FairMail’s first social impact measurement

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014

FairMail was set up in 2006 to bring photos with an original perspective into the market but – more importantly – to accomplish our social mission:

“to give at-risk teenagers the opportunity to create a better future for themselves”.

But how much impact did we create in our seven years of operation? And what did the teenagers accomplish with their earnings?

“Earning while learning”

In 2013 the 50 teenage photographers earned 20.530 euro to invest in their own education, their families’ housing and medical care. The top earners in Peru and India were Yomira and Sandhya with 1.419 and 1.801 euro respectively. Yeah girl power! In second place came Elmer and Dhiraj with 1.226 and 1.306 euro each.

FairMail dropout rate is much lower than national average

Anshu in school uniform

These earnings are crucial for the teenagers to be able to fulfill their dreamed future plans. But money alone is no guarantee as success also depends on their perseverance, family situation and motivation for FairMail.

Due to a mix of these reasons, 20% of the teenagers who started FairMail did not make it to the retirement age of 19 years old. These 10 teenagers either lost motivation along the way, were drawn back into problems by “old friends” or faced such big personal problems that they could not continue with FairMail.

86% of all the kids that started FairMail either finished or are still in secondary school. Not bad considering the background of the teenagers FairMail works with. Also if you compare the percentage to the national average of 52% of all Indian teenagers that makes it to tenth grade (or 65% of all children in Peru finishing high school).

87% of FairMail teenagers continue learning after finishing high school

Yuli in front of her university

Of those FairMail teenagers who finished high school during their time with FairMail 40% has continued on to (pre-) university. 47% of them have continued with a vocational training.

Only 13% decided not to continue studying at all after finishing high school. This either due to not finishing high school in the first place or because they didn’t have enough earnings in their funds after finishing FairMail.

78% of “retired” FairMail teenagers have broken the chain of poverty

Akaash invested his earnings in his bike repair shop

At this moment 68% of the FairMail teenagers are still studying something. Of those not studying anymore 55% has a decent job (varying from tourism to construction to sales). 23% has his or her own business or is self-employed (varying from producing soccer balls to photography to mechanic). This way they have broken the chain of poverty and can start building a family that will provide much better opportunities for their children then the families where they grew up in. (8% of the ex-FairMail teenagers already have kids of their own!)

Not all is success though. Still 22% is either unemployed or has a marginalized or an unstable job (varying from carrying groceries on the market to being in jail). 4 out of 5 teenagers who are in this situation happen to be teenagers that didn’t finish the FairMail program until the age of 19. This only shows the importance of FairMail’s long term approach and guidance.

Cinthia graduating

Tags: Dhiraj, education, elmer, impact, results, sandhya, social impact, yomira
Posted in FairMail | No Comments »

Ex-FairMail teenager wins entrepreneurship prize

Monday, February 3rd, 2014

another cake finished in the ACJ Bakery

The success story of ex-FairMail photographer Patricia from Peru continues. In past newsletters you could read about how she started her own bakery with fellow ex-photographer Betty and how they managed to attract foreign investment in their growing business.

Despite the setback of her partner Betty leaving the business to pursue other destinies Patricia is doing great. In the end of 2013 she won the first prize of a business competition organized by the Peruvian government. The competition was aimed at stimulating young entrepreneurs to set up their own business. After the training sessions Patricia managed to convince the judges during the pitching session to give her the first prize of 2.500 Peruvian soles (about 650 euro).

Patricia with her mother

With this money she bought a new oven and is now refurbishing her mother’s house to make it suitable to house the bakery’s facilities. This way she will become independent from the facilities she now rents from ACJ El Milagro and will spend less time commuting. Also at home Patricia’s mother and sisters can help baking the products.

Apart from the investment in her new facilities she has also managed to expand her product range including more sweets like meringues, cookies, “crema de leche” and “cocitos”. Also she has managed to formalize her business with the tax authorities, making the way free to sell (and invoice) to corporate clients.

Patricia in front of her house where she is implementing her new bakery

A big thanks from Patricia to all who have supported her with the purchase of her cards. A special thanks goes out to Marlies van Appel from our Dutch partner Context Cards who provided different baking accessories and to Pieter Parmentier for investing in Patricia’s business when she really needed it.

Tags: award, business, patricia, results, social impact
Posted in FairMail, Peru | No Comments »

New investments in FairMail teenager’s bakery enterprise

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

Patricia and Betty showing their cakes

Patricia and Betty, two of FairMail Peru’s ex-photographers, where very sad when they had to retire from FairMail 9 months ago. But at the same time very happy to make their dream reality: start-up theirown micro-enterprise called PatyBet Bakery (read the earlier blogpost about their plans here). Twelve months down the road they have shown that their business is successful. Also in attracting foreign investment from a Dutch micro-investor, wanting to help their business grow.

Patricia finishing off a birthday cake

The investment was used to buy flower, sugar and butter at discounted wholesale prices but also different cake molds to increase production, cleaning materials and other ingredients necessary for baking cakes.

Now the PatyBet bakery has increased its production to about 20 to 23 cakes per week. Their clients seem to be very satisfied with the tasty product and the service provided. All the cakes leave the oven still hot and are delivered straight into the hands of their customers.

Betty and Patricia delivering a fresh cake

PatyBet is now also providing decorated birthday cakes as a new product. Step by step Patricia and Betty are growing their business. Whenever you come to Peru, please don’t forget to contact and visit PatyBet

Tags: betty, business, patricia, Peru, results, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, Peru | 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 »

New FairMail documentary: From Dump to Diploma

Sunday, September 15th, 2013

Next week FairMail will be on Dutch National Television in the new “Groundbreaker” television series. This week we can offer you the new “From Dump to Diploma” video which came out 3 weeks ago.

This new 8 minute documentary tells the story of FairMail Peru photographers Yuli and Yomira. How they had to work at a young age recycling garbage to supplement their families small income before they started taking pictures for FairMail. The new documentary gives insight into their daily activities for FairMail and how it has impacted their lives. Not only through the earnings from the sale of their cards to invest in their own education. But also in their personal development and the mindset needed to really achieve their goals.

A unique and inspirational documentary of hope and determination! Check it out below.

Tags: education, garbage dump, impact, Peru, photography classes, results, social impact, video, yomira, yuli
Posted in FairMail, Peru | No Comments »

FairMail India teenager Aradhana first in math’s test

Saturday, September 14th, 2013

Hi, my name is Aradhana and I am a photographer in FairMail India. It has been good to be part of this program. I did not know English, nor photography before I entered. But now as I speak with Volunteers in English I feel for myself that my English has improved a lot and I am very happy with my success.

I also see in my tuition that my math’s has improved. I was even first in this year’s math’s test. I have been selected for the next European promotional trip in 2014. I am very excited about that and looking forward for it.

Last month I learned about portrait photography. I used to take portrait photos of others but last month our photography teacher Eleanor taught us how to take portrait of ourselves. So during that time one becomes model and other take photo of you, so it was new for me. I am very thankful to my volunteers who taught us very well and many new things. Thanks to FairMail and also to the Volunteers. Aradhana.

Would you like to share your passion for photography with our teenagers in Peru or India? Then check out the volunteering opportunities and options for travelling with FairMail during our photography trips.

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

FairMail celebrates seventh birthday

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

FairMail India Celebrating 7 years of FairMail

This month we are celebrating it is 7 years ago that FairMail founder Janneke Smeulders took her camera to Trujillo’s garbage dump for the first time to take pictures with the local Peruvian teenagers. “At that time I only wanted to let the teenagers have fun with my camera as I noticed their interest in camera’s while volunteering there.”

But back home in her restaurant it didn’t feel right to teach the teenagers a new hobby which they would never have the money for to practice on their own. Plus it didn’t seem to contribute to solving the problem these teenagers where facing which was not having the time nor the money to go to school.

FairMail Peru celebrating 7 years FairMail

As the pictures that came out of the first session where so good it inspired Janneke to print the best ones on post cards. She could sell them to tourists coming to her vegetarian restaurant and give 50% of the profit back to the teenager who took the picture to invest in their own education.

Without having any idea what would have become of her idea today, 7 years later: A multi-national fair trade company employing 50 teenagers in 3 countries, selling 500.000 cards per year in 10 different countries.

With this info graphic we have tried to illustrate FairMail’s development and milestones over the past 7 years:

FairMail Milestones

We also asked the teenagers to share with us what their best memories where the past 7 years and what they hope for in the next 7 years. This is what they wrote down (click on the picture to see in large format):

Sandhya Rao

Kaushal Kumar

Chandra shekhar

Anshu Dinkar

Aradhna Kumari

Anil Rao

Tags: birthday, FairMail, milestones, results
Posted in FairMail | No Comments »

Milestone reached: Over 100.000 euro in earnings for teenager photographers

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

After calculating the profits of card and picture sales in the first four months of 2013 we reached an important milestone in FairMail’s history: 100.107 euro in direct earnings by our teenage photographers from Peru, India and Morocco. That means 100.107 euro directly invested (or still saved ready to invest) in the teenagers education, housing or health through the sale of their own pictures!

Who would have thought when we started FairMail in June 2006 that these teenagers, who had never touched a camera before, would have been able to take such great pictures? And that they were able to turn the free resource of local beauty into so much local income?

You can check out each teenager’s exact earnings and what each one has done so far with their money on their personal profile page.

Thanks to everyone for helping us make this possible!

Tags: earnings, results, teenagers
Posted in FairMail | No Comments »

FairMail Peru photographer Elmer gives his family a safe house to live in

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

Elmer

Also looking very new is the house of ex-FairMail Peru photographer Elmer Machuca Chacon. When he turned 19 last year he not only left FairMail, but also the Mundo de Ninos boys home for ex-street children and moved back into his mother’s house in El Alto in Trujillo. The house he had left when he was 11 years old to roam on the streets (click here for the video about Elmer’s life back then).

El Alto is a new part of the city of Trujillo, lying on the sandy outskirts overlooking the city. Many of the newcomers to the city, looking for work they can’t find in the rural areas, squat a piece of land here to build their new home. Like Elmer’s mother 10 years ago. With a lot of poverty and little social cohesion El Alto is a dangerous part of Trujillo which Elmer himself encountered when he was robbed last January.

New doors placed in Elmer

To make sure he and his family are at least safe inside their house Elmer used part of his FairMail earnings to remodels his mother’s house. He bought new strong iron doors, barred windows and new locks. While installing the metal work in the walls of the house they re-did the front façade of the house in one go, giving it a fresh new look. Of the 50% profit that the teenagers earn they can spend a maximum of 25% to improve their family housing, this way giving their family a short term benefit too of their children’s participation in FairMail.

While they where at it they pimped up the front facade of the house

His family is very thankful for Elmer’s support, especially after his difficult youth. Mrs. Eva Maria, his mother, is very proud of her son and the results he is booking and thankful to the people who bought her son’s cards and pictures.

View the video made about Elmer’s life before he got into FairMail below:

Tags: elmer, housing, Peru, results, teenagers
Posted in FairMail, Peru | No Comments »

Earnings FairMail teenagers in 2012

Monday, March 18th, 2013

20.992 Euro. That is the total amount the 44 FairMail teenagers in Peru, India and Morocco earned from the sale of their picture and greetings cards in 2012 for their education, housing and medical funds. This makes the total amount earned by the teenagers since the start of FairMail in July 2006 add up to 95.779 euro.

Akaash in his old mechanics workshop

The biggest earner in India was Akaash who earned 1.667 euro in 2012 which he invested in his private tutorship (when he started FairMail he was not attending school because he could not read and write) and in his motorcycle repair shop he runs with his father. This year they decided to buy a bigger and better situated piece of land where they could expand their business and offer more services.

Elmer with his laptop and graphic design certificates

The biggest earner in Peru was Elmer who earned 1.449 euro in 2012 which he invested in preparing for and entering the private Cesar Vallejo University to study communication sciences. Despite passing all his first year courses he took the brave decision to quit after the first year and choose a more practical graphic design and photography academy to pursue his dreams.

Sandhya doing her homework at home

The Indian girl with the highest earnings in 2012 was Sandhya who earned 1.330 euro in 2012. She used this money to pay for her school necessities and private tuition. But the majority she added to her savings (no amounting up to 2.191 euro) which she will use after finishing high school hoping to prepare for and enter medical school.

Yuli in front of her university

In Peru the highest female earnings were achieved by Yuli who earned 1.203 euro in 2012. She used the money to prepare for and enter Trujillo’s national university to study languages to become a language teacher in the future. She still has 4 more years to go and will need all the sales she can get to finish her career.

Tags: Akaash, earnings, elmer, results, sandhya, yuli
Posted in FairMail, India, Morocco, Peru | No Comments »

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