Our vendors: Cyril Mylambiso (The Big Issue South Africa, Cape Town)

When Cyril Mylambiso started selling The Big Issue South Africa in Cape Town four years ago, he had lost his job, separated from his girlfriend and felt like a failure because he couldn’t support his two children. 

Today, as he stands on the streets of Cape Town in his blue vendor bib, which states his main goal is to support his family, Cyril is proud proud to have held down a job for so long.

He explains how The Big Issue South Africa is helping him find better work opportunities and the confidence to rebuild his relationship with his children.

“I’ve been a Big Issue vendor for four years. It hasn’t been easy for me, because I could never hold down a job for too long. I don’t have many skills, so the jobs that I apply for are often contract positions, which eventually come to an end.

“When I lost my last gig, it really hit me hard. My girlfriend and I decided to part ways around the same time and I felt like a failure because I couldn’t support my two children, who were very young at the time. A friend from my neighbourhood told me about The Big Issue and I decided to give it a go.

“It feels good that I have been able to stay in one place for so long. Some people may think that selling the magazine is not a real job, but to me it is. 

“For the first time in my life I have been able to hold down a job. It has restored my confidence. I am dedicated to selling out each month. I make up to R250 a day – sometimes even more. I love selling the magazine and I am so happy to be the Vendor of the Month.

 “Right now I am not in a hurry to move on because I have been so happy, but I know that sooner or later I will have to move on to something better. The Big Issue is a hand up, not a hand out, so for my children I will have to seek employment where I can earn more.

“My advice to new vendors would be to make use of all the opportunities that The Big Issue offers. Right now, I am focused on improving sales but my goal for the year is to work on getting a new job.”

This is a summary of an article from The Big Issue South Africa made available to street papers in our network via the INSP News Service here.

Our vendors: Mr Oh "Killer Smile" - The Big Issue Korea

In less than five years, The Big Issue Korea has not only built a solid readership. It has changed the lives of its vendors across South Korea – a nation that has rapidly become an economic powerhouse, yet remains beset by homelessness and unemployment.

Mr Oh sells The Big Issue Korea in Seoul.

Mr Oh – also known as ‘Killer Smile’ – is one of the many vendors in Seoul, the country's capital, who has benefitted from this support. He became homeless after his family business failed, stripping him of his income.

"One day I was wandering around the street trying to get a meal. There’s a place that provides food and someone was there giving out leaflets about The Big Issue and how it can help get you back on track. This really interested me, so I called the office."

Mr Oh has now been selling the magazine at his pitch at Exit 8 of Seoul’s Express Bus Terminal for four years. "On average I sell 30, starting around 5pm when people finish work," he says. "Some people already know about The Big Issue and buy it frequently. They ask how selling is going, and sometimes also offer me a snack – when that happens it’s really nice."

As well as earning a steady income, the street paper has helped him find a home. In South Korea, vendors who sell The Big Issue for more than six months and save more than SKW1.5 million [$1580] can apply for rental support via a government-sponsored program. 

Thanks to this scheme, Mr Oh is now able to rent an apartment in the western part of Seoul. He says that having stable shelter has changed his life. "I have my own things in my house, can buy things I need and when I go to sleep I can think about the future. In the past I didn’t, because I had no hope. It has made a big difference."

Selling a street paper also reconnected Mr Oh with his family: "I live alone, but had a chance to be on TV because of The Big Issue, and my brothers noticed me and found me. I had become disconnected from my family for a long time. I met my brothers and my mother – it was fantastic."

This is a summary of a vendor profile by Patrick Witton, The Big Issue Australia's Contributing Editor. He travelled to South Korea with the Walkley Foundation Australia-Korea Journalism Exchange, with support from Australia-Korea Foundation and Korea Press Foundation. 

The full article has been made available to other street papers in our network via the INSP News Service here. Original interview translated by Claire Kang.

Our vendors: Henrieese Roberts - Street Sense, Maryland, USA

Henrieese Roberts sells American street paper Street Sense on the streets of Annapolis, Maryland. She is also a fierce advocate of HIV/AIDS awareness and policy reform.

Motivated by close personal experiences with friends and family, she began working to raise awareness about public health, sexuality and HIV/AIDS issues nearly 30 years ago.

Street Sense vendor/writer Henrieese Roberts.

"We fear the disease instead of learning how to circumvent it, and be loving to people that do have it," says Henrieese. 

She also writes regularly for Street Sense about these topics, hoping to break down stereotypes and promote understanding of the illness rather than fear.

Having watched HIV/AIDS change the lives of people - damaging their health and presenting challenges in terms of personal privacy, employment and housing - Henrieese is acutely aware that the disease can be crippling for those already living in poverty.

"There are many people that can't afford their medications and are on waiting lists to be treated. There are also a lot of unnecessary deaths," she says.

In 1992, Henrieese herself was diagnosed with histoplasmosis, an infectious disease that has rendered her visually impaired. But she remains optimistic and continues to persevere with her filmmaking and photography career.

"I am going to actualize because I am willing to work hard," she says. 

Through her work she hopes people become more sexually conscious, avoid spreading the disease and reduce the stigma associated with the infection.

This is a summary of an article by Street Sense reporter Jazmine Steele that was published on INSP's News Service. Street paper editors can view, download and republish the full article here. 

Our vendors: Erdzan Sadik - Lice v Lice, Skopje, Macedonia

"Selling on the street was a bit embarrassing for me at first, so I spoke to customers in a low voice. They didn't hear me, they didn't even stop for a moment, so I realized I was going nowhere,” says Erdzan Sadik, who sells Lice v lice in Skopje, Macedonia.

“Now I know that this is a good and decent job and I had to put more effort into Lice v lice so that both the magazine and I would succeed.”

The 21-year-old now sells more copies of the magazine than any other vendor. “The most important thing is to smile, look people in the eye and show them the magazine cover," he says. "It's easier for me now, because I'm not a rookie anymore. I speak to customers loudly and clearly,".

Erdzan shares his sales tips with his fellow vendors and even encouraged his little brother Armando and his father to sell the magazine too. "When they saw that I leave the house clean and that I come back clean, that I am neither tired, nor upset, and I even had money left, they wanted to do this job too," he says.

Training sessions offered by Lice v lice did more to give Erdzan the skills for selling the magazine, they also encouraged him to continue his education.  He has now finished fifth grade in school. "I know that I have to study and I can promise that I will do everything I can to make that happen," he adds.

Photos by Tomislav Georgiev.

This is a summary of a vendor profile written Lice v lice's Maja Nedelkovska that was published on INSP's News Service. Street paper editors can view, download and republish the full article here.

Our vendors: Robert Smith - Real Change, Seattle, USA

A couple of years ago, Robert Smith went to the Seattle suburb of Kirkland to sell the street paper Real Change.

As a "stereotypical big black guy" he was worried: "This is an upper-class environment. There's not that many black people around. I was afraid they were going to call the police on me."

Robert Smith. Photo: Mike Wold

While he now has many regular customers, Robert says that "a lot of them don't understand. If I had an opportunity like what they have, I wouldn't even be selling the paper."

For the past nine years, Robert has been on and off the streets, starting in Las Vegas, where he grew up. His mother is dead and his dad, a Vietnam veteran, is serving time in prison. He moved to Seattle five years ago but had a hard time finding a decent job.

"A lot of jobs are just modern-day slavery," he said. "You got people working two or three jobs, making eight, nine dollars. You can't survive off that."

But he adds that being homeless "makes you count your blessings for the little things, just to wash, wash your teeth, take a shower. When you're homeless, these things are all taken away from you."

Sometimes, when he doesn't see a customer for a while, Robert worries that they stopped buying from him because he's too outspoken or even because he doesn't look down-and-out enough.

"Sometimes I've got to be quiet, because I'm a very real person, and a lot of people don't like to hear real things."

Either way, he thinks people would be missing the point.

"The underlying point is to help somebody that's less fortunate. You don't go to church to hear the preacher. You go to church to hear the Word. Just buy the paper."

This is a summary of an article by Real Change reporter Mike Wold that was published on INSP's News Service. Street paper editors can view, download and republish the full article here.

Our vendors: Renae - The Big Issue Australia, Adelaide

Renae, who sells The Big Issue Australia in Adelaide, lives by her personal motto: "keep moving forward, don’t let anything hold you back".

Photo of Renae by Andy Rasheed

The 21-year-old certainly didn't let her learning difficulties hamper her education. At school, she excelled in woodworking and completed several courses, including furniture making and construction. Yet she has struggled to find an apprenticeship after graduating.

Renae first heard about The Big Issue through a family friend. She found the training easy to understand and, on her first attempt, sold her bundle of magazines in just a few hours.

"It's quite fun, and gets me out of the house for a few hours," she says. "I only do it four days a week now.  I don't know the customers' names, but they do like to have a chat if they've got time.

"My favourite spot is the Adelaide Arcade. I just hold the magazine up, and people ask me about it. Sometimes they buy it, sometimes they don't, but at least they know what it’s about.”

Ultimately, Renae would love a job that lets her work with her hands, such as building – a passion she pursues in her spare time.

"At the moment I'm building a guinea-pig cage…I've got heaps of stuff to do. I've got a belt sander, some basic tools, even a biscuit cutter, but I still want to get a bench planer and a thicknesser.”

In the next couple of years, Renae hopes to secure a carpentry apprenticeship, which could lead her into full time work.

“But I think I'll be selling The Big Issue for a while yet,” she adds. “I'm told it can take a couple of years to get an apprenticeship. My motto is 'keep moving forward, don't let anything hold you back'."

This is a summary of an article by The Big Issue Australia reporter Peter Ascot published on INSP's News Service. Street paper editors can view, download and republish the full article here.

Our vendors: Harry Richards - Street Roots, Portland

Drug addiction led Harry Richards into homelessness and eventually prison. But time behind bars helped him discover a new habit - drawing. 

The aspiring artist now earns a living selling Street Roots from his pitch outside the Starbucks at Southwest Ninth Avenue and Taylor Street in Portland, Oregon. 

Harry has also drawn caricatures on the street for tips and donations since 2010.

Harry Richards sells Street Roots in Portland, Oregon. Photo: Sarah Hansell

But Harry doesn't just share his art with people who are willing to tip. Many of his subjects are poor or experiencing homelessness, so he draws them for free.

"I lived my life selfishly for many, many years being a drug addict,” said Harry. “Now that I've been off drugs for over six years, I want to give back."

Harry learned to draw in prison by doing scale drawings and looking at cartoon books. He's come a long way since then. 

He now lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his nephew and nephew's friend, and has plans to convert the master bedroom into an art studio. He draws and paints abstracts, architectural and spiritual art, and sells it online with the help of his producer, who discovered him in 2008.

Drawing caricatures for money, however, isn't a viable option for Harry all year round. So when he met someone selling Street Roots in November 2013, he decided to try it for himself. 

Since then, Harry has brought four more people to Street Roots. "It's better than being dependent on other people and having no self-esteem," he said.

Harry enjoys the people he gets to meet while selling papers - from doctors, lawyers and orchestra musicians, to people from around the world staying in downtown hotels. 

He encourages people to seek out Street Roots as a source of income, as well as an opportunity to connect with others. 

"Even if you can't trust right now, you're still gonna make social friends, which can open you up to show that the world is kind," Harry said. 

"All you gotta do is look at it from a Street Roots point of view, which is don't judge and you won't be judged."

This is a summary of an article by Street Roots reporter Sarah Hansell published on INSP's News Service. Street paper editors can view, download and republish the full article here.

Is this the world’s longest-serving street paper vendor?

This week, INSP's #VendorWeek celebrates over 14,000 vendors who sell street papers around the world. Among that number is Algia Benjamin from Boston, who might just be world's longest-serving street paper vendor.

Algia has been selling one of America's oldest street papers, Spare Change News, on the sidewalks of Boston for 22 years. The 53-year-old started the job just three months after the paper was founded.

Algia Benjamin has sold Spare Chnage News for 22 years.

He was raised by his mother in Alabama in the early 1960s and moved to Boston with his family in 1966.

Growing up during the Civil Rights movement when segregation was still in place, Algia remembers his mother being so afraid that she sometimes felt reluctant to take them out on trips.

He says those were the days when a black man couldn't pass a white woman on the sidewalk without being expected to move aside. It's no surprise his mother is the person he most admires in life.

"My mother had 10 children and held it all together," he says. "She made sure we had a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs."

The strong example Algia received from his mother is what inspires him to offer the same support to his 14-year-old daughter.

Knowing that the stress of financial insecurity can prevent people enjoying the good things in life, he wants his daughter to be free of that worry. So he works seven days a week selling Spare Change News outside CVS pharmacy in Boston's Porter Square.

Algia says the perks of working as a vendor include meeting lots of people. He sees about 40 people regularly in Porter Square and many of them have become friends and acquaintances, especially those who stop for a chat.

Sometimes, Algia feels "like a street psychologist. I value being able to communicate well. People talk to me about everything under the sun."

The veteran street paper vendor loves his job and says he's happiest "when I open my eyes in the morning and I can look out and see the sun shining upon my face. God has given me another day-another day to become a better person."

This is a summary of an article written by Spare Change News reporter Andrew Warburton. Street paper editors can view and download the full article on INSP's News Service here.

Our vendors: Bertl Weißengruber - Kupfermuckn, Linz, Austria

Bertl, 63, is one of the original vendors of Austrian street paper Kupfermuckn. He started selling the street paper in Linz right after it was founded in 1996.

Born in Vienna, Bertl grew up living in a shanty town, like so many other bombed out families after the war, and went on to move around Austria as a vagabond.

“Vagrancy was still illegal in Austria until 1972 so I was sent to prison a few times,” he says.

“Finally I went to Hamburg and became a sailor for five years. I was in Leningrad, at the North Cape in Norway, in Shanghai and then in Caribbean until the shipping company went bust and I ended up in Linz, where I started a family.

"I have four children with my former wife, with all of whom I am still in good contact.”

Then one day he collapsed with a stroke. It was downhill from that moment on. His wife finally threw Bertl out and he was back living on the streets.

“I went to Arge, a non-profit association for the homeless. There I could move into a halfway house,” Bertl recalls.

“At the same time the street paper Kupfermuckn was founded, and because I only had a small limited income delivering a daily paper, so I started selling Kupfermuckn as well.

“It was tough at the beginning and the first day I only sold one copy. Slowly but surely, though, more people got to know me and since then it got better and better."

Eventually, Bertl found a regular spot in Ottensheim at a local farmers' market.

“I am even friends with many stall owners and customers, often exchanging the paper for food, but I also receive invitations to eat as well,” he says.

“The Ottensheim actor Ferry Öllinger already knows me as well. He stars in the TV Show 'Soko Kitzbühel'".

Now, Bertl is working hard to get his life back on track. He lives in a flat share for homeless people and is taking part in all events organised by the street paper. He is acting in a drama group and is a DJ at Radio Kupfermuckn.

Did you know INSP works with over 114 street papers around the world? You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Bertl, by joining our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015. Sign up here.

Our vendors: Paul Ortiz - Street Roots, Portland, USA

On a cold, spitting December afternoon Paul Ortiz walks from the food carts at Southwest Third Avenue and Stark Street back to the Street Roots office to check his mail and pick up more papers.

Paul began selling the Portland street paper in August 2014 and has become a familiar face on his regular pitch. He uses the money he earns to buy basic necessities and help his girlfriend pay her bills.


His style of selling is understated but visible - he holds the paper out to the side and says “Best paper in town, one dollar” as people walk past. The key, he says, is to be there day after day, so that people know he’s serious about the work.

He says the people who pass by his turf are all kinds, ranging from openly cold or snobbish to remarkably kind.

The vendor has an accepting attitude toward people in general, having experienced both the charitable and cruel sides of humanity from living on the streets.

When a potential customer gives him the cold shoulder or says something nasty, he just shrugs it off and gets back to work. There’s always the next person.

With a past blighted by drugs and crime in California, Paul started a new life when he found a steady job riding with a travelling carnival, setting up the booths and stages and rides in towns across California and southern Oregon.

The job took him to Salem, where he quit and settled for a few years. He got married, got divorced, and decided to head for Portland, where he got clean for good. Eventually, Paul began selling Street Roots which became his main source of income and also an opportunity to network and build friendships.

He attends writing workshops at the street paper’s offices and takes the time to meet vendors new and old, because he knows and cares about the people he shares the streets with.

“I give what I got,” he says. “If I have more than I need, there’s plenty of people out here who can use that.”

Did you know INSP works with over 114 street papers around the world? You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Paul, by joining our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015. Sign up here.

Our vendors: Horacio - Hecho En Buenos Aires, Argentina

Argentinian street paper Hecho En Buenos Aires (HBA) provided a lifeline to Horacio.

Horacio has been selling HBA for more than three years, ever since he was encouraged to find out more about the street paper by a friend "who was having some problems and who had been encouraged to take part in HBA’s art workshops". 

Hecho En Buenos Aires (HBA) vednor Horacio.

He says: "I didn’t know about the magazine but they asked if I wanted to sign up, and I had been out of work with health problems for such a long time.”

Prior to selling HBA, Horacio worked in a factory job in Buenos Aires, sitting all day at a sewing machine, which proved to be back-breaking work. Now, he says, he feels brilliant: “I like it because the street has its charms, people always come up and chat to me at my pitch. I don’t make readers feel obliged to buy the magazine – I like to show them that I work with dignity.”

Some people, he explains, complain about the 15-peso price, despite this only giving him enough for two bottles of milk, but Horacio has regular customers who buy from him as soon as the magazine comes out.

“And then there’s the guy that passes by for the first time and you win him over because he likes you,” he adds.

“I think there are some people who buy it simply because you are homeless, but there are lots of people who are really interested in whatever the subject matter of the magazine is – the content is good quality.”

Horacio says his life has changed since selling HBA. He now manages his own money and is enjoying the freedom and possibilities that offers.

“I would like to have my own place, a place where I can relax, rest my head at the end of the day,” he says.

“I would like to have a family eventually but everything will happen in time. With faith, I will be able to do this. To my readers – I need them so much, just as they need me. Let’s keep the machine going.”

Did you know INSP works with over 114 street papers around the world? You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Horacio, by joining our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015. Sign up here.

Our Vendors: Pilar Ferreir - Ocas, São Paulo, Brazil

Since Pilar Ferreir started selling Brazilian street paper Ocas in São Paulo, she has gone from cleaning mansions to writing novels and performing poetry and can now provide for her family.

"I was eight years old when I started to get into writing,” recalls Pilar, who grew up working alongside her mother, cleaning properties in some of Brazil's wealthiest neighbourhoods.

“I read Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves and decided to write a story. My mother's boss came into my room, saw my papers on the floor and said that I was writing too much. 

"She tore everything up, said 'get to work, blackie, you're aiming too high'. This phrase has haunted me all my life. Today, every time I take part in a literary project, a recital, I remember this.  It was complete nonsense."

As Pilar landed her first paid cleaning job at 14, education was never an option for her. It wasn't until she enrolled in a basic education course for deprived adults that she got some college experience, but finding secure employment remained a battle. Money was always running out and she was eventually evicted from her home.

One day, after leaving yet another unsuccessful job interview, Pilar broke down in the doorway of the Museum of Art of São Paulo and cried. Suddenly, she spotted a man with a bundle of magazines under his arm.

"I saw him selling magazines so I went over and asked him how I could get a job like that," recalls the 44-year-old. "He told me about the street paper and I said to him, 'but I don't live on the streets'. He replied: 'But soon you will'. And he was right. I no longer had any money in my purse and I hadn't even realised it."

Together they went to the Ocas office, where Pilar received her orange vest and a pack of ten magazines. It was a Monday morning. On Wednesday she went back for more.

"There were periods where I didn't stop working until one in the morning,” says Pilar

“I had to make the most of the people coming out of the cinema and theatre. Selling the magazine, I meet artists, actors, singers and lots of very nice people. I show them my poems. They often give me free tickets for shows, invitations to plays. All of this keeps me going."

Writing has remained her greatest passion. Following the publication of her poems in Ocas, she published a book, Unacademic Words. "I didn't go to university, but living on the streets inspired me to write it," she says.

After eight years of selling Ocas, Pilar managed to rent the house that she lives in today, with her children. "Ocas has turned my life around," she says. "We have money to eat and pay the bills, which is the most important thing. I hope that one day I can buy my own place."

Did you know INSP works with over 120 street papers around the world? You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Pilar, by signing up to our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015. 

Our vendors: Beiene Berhane - Surprise, Switzerland

“It was only after coming here that I learnt the true meaning of neighbourly love,” says Beiene Berhane, who, at 75 years old, is the oldest of the Surprise street paper vendors in Zurich, Switzerland.

Beiene is also the first African to sell Surprise. A political refugee from Eritrea, he ended up homeless after fleeing his country but has found a new purpose, and family, selling street papers.

Beiene Berhane sells Surprise in Zurich.

“I come from Eritrea, and only poor people work on the streets there so it is not seen as a good thing,” he explains.

“But then I saw how hard the Swiss work, in whatever job they have, and that motivated me. Today I am very proud that I can sell Surprise.”

Even though his German is limited, Beiene has been able to form relationships with his regular customers, including one woman who has bought Surprise from him for the last ten years.

“I always try and chat to people, although I only speak a little German," says the vendor.

"Somehow, you always understand each other, even if sometimes you have to speak with your hands. A lot of people here also speak Italian. Eritrea was an Italian colony, so I can speak the language.

“In the evening when I have finished selling, I enjoy watching RSI, a Swiss TV channel in Italian. This means I can learn more about where I now live.”

Born in 1939,  Beiene experienced many political upheavals while living in Eritrea, including a 30-year war with neighbouring country Ethiopia.

“I cannot speak about the precise circumstances of my escape from Eritrea; I have painful memories of it,” he says.

“I have hardly any contact with my family any more. I am the second youngest of ten children; many of my siblings are dead. I have six children myself, but I only speak to one son now and then.”

But for Beiene, his new Swiss friends have become his second family.

“They celebrate my birthday with me, look after me when I am unwell, and when I had nowhere to live they took me in,” he says with a smile.

“The Swiss are so friendly. I am often given a coffee or a sandwich - by someone I don't know! That would never happen at home.

“Nevertheless, home is like your mother, you can never forget her. I hope that the situation in Eritrea will calm down and that the people there will take Switzerland as an example.”

Did you know INSP works with over 120 street papers around the world? You can help celebrate thousands of vendors, like Beiene, by signing up to our Thunderclap social media campaign during #VendorWeek 2015.

Our vendors: Richard Mills - The Big Issue UK, Gloucester

"I love selling the Big Issue but I don't think people realise what a hard job it is," says 50-year-old Richard Mills, who sells The Big Issue in Gloucester, England.

Former rockin' roadie turned Big Issue vendor Richard Mills.

Before selling a street paper, Richard was a roadie and guitar technician for 15 years, travelling the world and working on tour with big name rock stars like the Manic Street Preachers and Catatonia.

"I used to follow bands around on tour and a friend of mine had a company doing theatre work in Cambridge, unloading the trucks and fixing up big arenas for gigs," he recalls.

"This led me into doing guitar technician work, and I worked on a self-employed basis for about 15 years. I was working with bands and performers like Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia and Paul Young."

Richard became homeless about two and a half years ago after losing work.

Following a spell of sleeping on the streets and camping in tents, he finally found a place to stay thanks, he says, to "a man from round the corner, who worked at an estate agents, asked if I wanted to do a bit of flat sitting for him. And since then, I've been in a flat. It was a top offer."

Richard now sells The Big Issue in his hometown. "I used to buy the Big Issue back when it first started, when it was a broadsheet and cost about 50p," he says.

"A friend of mine suggested I try selling it, when I was in a night shelter about two and a half years ago."

While being outdoors in all weather often proves to be a tough gig, Richard says it's his customers who often keep him motivated. It turns out The Big Issue seller has become an inspiration to the community too.

"Selling the Big Issue is one of the hardest jobs I've ever had to do, so I wouldn't mind getting an easier one," he says.

"But then, a woman came up to me the other day, when I was feeling really depressed, and said, 'I see you out in all weathers - You're a real source of inspiration to me.'"

You can help celebrate street paper vendors like Richard around the world by signing up for INSP's Thunderclap during #VendorWeek 2015 here. 

Our vendors: Hendrik Beune - Megaphone, Vancouver

“I do a lot of different things that keep me happy, healthy and busy in life. Megaphone's one of them, and it's an important part of it,” says Hendrik Beune, who started selling the Vancouver street paper in 2009.

“Selling the paper gets me out on my bicycle, doing deliveries to my regular customers in the DTES [Downtown Eastside] and it gets me to the farmers markets, where I sell to the public. This contributes to a healthy lifestyle - I am not cooped up inside behind a computer all the time.”

 Another bonus for Hendrik is getting to meet and engage with new people on a daily basis. “I have conversations with my customers about everything!" he adds. “I often get asked if I'm homeless - that's a common misconception. No, I'm not homeless, but I was virtually homeless for a long time.”

Originally from the Netherlands, Hendrik moved to Canada when he was 19 to study biology. His cousin, who lives in Edmonton, helped to get him accepted to the University of Alberta but, after hearing that Vancouver was known as “the San Francisco of the North” he went to UBC instead to earn a degree in Zoology and Ecology.

After graduating, Hendrik spent decades on the west coast surveying watersheds, building boats, and farming shellfish until a back injury sidelined him from physical work. He then moved with his wife and two children to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

“I moved out of a dingy, rat-infested SRO hotel into something decent in 2010. Before that, I didn't have much choice. Not being able to work and receiving no compensation, I ended up on the street for a while until I finally received some help from social services,” Hendrik recalls.

“I had never been on 'welfare' before in my life. I was too proud and always managed to get by somehow, but I could barely walk when I got to Vancouver and after three days without food, I was persuaded to stand in line for a food handout. I got to meet people from different strokes and learned how to access the social services system. That was an education all by itself."

"Thank you for opening my mind & heart to the stories of my city." Donor note today left us all with the sniffles. pic.twitter.com/sTY12uJvxB
— Megaphone Magazine (@MegaphoneMag) December 4, 2014

In 2009, Hendrik heard about Megaphone and been working as a street newspaper vendor ever since.

He says: "Most people work for a mortgage. Then you've got us, who are free on the streets if you can handle not to get enslaved with drugs.

"But I kind of like how people are different and living together in the same city. Building those connections is really important: I think that's the main goal for me and also the purpose of Megaphone.

"The stories in Megaphone are written from the perspective of the other side of society that's often despised and looked down upon," Hendrik continues. "These are real people with real lives and Megaphone helps to personalise them and gives them respect for their struggles.

“We've got so much unrecognised talent here, if people really connected and got to know each other better and bridged those barriers that make some people seem different and unacceptable to others, then we can have a truly mixed, wholesome society where people work together and create a common good.”

Original interview by Megaphone's Jackie Wong.

Megaphone is sold on the streets of Vancouver and Victoria by homeless and low-income vendors. Vendors buy the magazine for 75 cents and sell it for $2, keeping the profit and earning a sense of pride and dignity.