From streetchild to international winning photographer!

Sometimes life can take strange ways. One year you are living on the streets and earning a living singing songs for people who walk by and the next year you win an international photography competition!

This is exactly what happened to FairMail teenager Juan Carlos Cabellos last week when he heard that he had won an international photography competition organized by the BID Challenge. In total there where 177 photos submitted for this competition with as theme ¨entrepreneurs that work on sustainable economical development in developing countries¨. Juan Carlos´ picture of a Peruvia market salesman selling fish on the market of Celendin was the best according to the jury who gave him the first prize of 200 euros.

That is about the same as two whole monthly wages for his father who works on somebody else's farm. When Juanr Carlos was 11 years old he left his house because this same father was making his life impossible at home. To survive on the streets he climbed the interstate buses every day to sing his songs for the passengers in exchange for their generosity. This way the always positive Juan Carlos stayed alive until picked off of the streets by the shelter for street children Mundo de Ninos in Huanchaco, Peru.

Last year Juan Carlos joined FairMail as a student photographer. He shot the winning photo during his first photography trip with FairMail in February 2008. Juan Carlos gets 50% of the profit of the sale of his pictures to finance his education, a fair wage as card packer and health insurance for himself and his family. Besides that he receives free photography training from FairMail volunteers and guidance in the development of his personal plans for his life.

He just earned some nice money for just that! Not by depending on charity anymore, but by working hard at developing a creative product.

For more information on the photography competition, the jury report and the winning picture, surf to: www.bidnetwork.org/article-87265-en.html