Write on! Street paper vendors help promote literacy in Macedonia

Lice v lice vendors have been helping to promote Macedonian literature and improve reading habits by joining a special campaign run by electrical distribution company, EVN Macedonia.

On May 7, the street paper vendors attended the campaign's launch at the Skopje Book Fair to sell a special edition of the Lice v lice.

The issue was packed with feature articles, interviews and news reports that highlighted Macedonian writers and explored how literacy levels could be improved across the country.

Dressed in their Lice v lice uniforms, vendors also carried backpacks displaying large bookmarks emblazoned with the reading motto – “Create your habit" to promote the pleasure of reading.

The vendor team also handed out free books from several Macedonian publishers ("Tabernakul”, “Tri”, “Goten”, “Ars lamina”, “Magor”) to the first 100 readers that bought the magazine. A free anthology of work produced by young Macedonian authors was also given as a special freebie to every Lice v lice customer.

The event was hosted by Macedonian journalist, Ana Zafirova, and school pupil, Ana Stankovska. It also included poetry readings and several educational writing and drawing workshops for school children.

Famous Macedonian actress Verica Nedeska – Trajkova is the cover star of the latest Lice v lice magazine promoting literacy and literature.

Photos by Tomislav Georgiev.

(Cover pictured left - photography by Milena Viitman, design and illustration by Evgeny Viitman).


To learn more about promoting Macedonian literature and new authors, go to Raskazi.mk. For more Lice v lice news, click here.

Macedonia's Lice v lice Embraces Rarity with stunning portrait series

Macedonian street paper Lice v lice (Face to face) put health in focus recently with a special edition that marked Rare Disease Day 2015.

The paper's Embrace Rarity campaign featured a stunning series of portraits that paired people affected by rare diseases with well known personalities.

It was produced in association with “Holistic”, the association of citizens for rare diseases Life With Challenges and the National Alliance for Rare Diseases of R. Macedonia.

Photographer Tomislav Georgiev worked with the Lice v lice design team, coordinated by Nebojsha Ilijevski, and stylist Irina Tosheva and make up artist Viktor Mirchevski to tell the stories of people living with rare conditions such as Hemophilia, Gaucher’s disease (brittle bone disease), Strumpell’s syndrome (where muscle turns to bone) and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Patients posed for photos alongside well known faces from the country's music, sport, TV and fashion industries. Many of the images were later digitally enhanced by graphic designers  Zoran Inadeski and Ruzica Mandichevska (Ruki Chuki).

Explaining the idea behind Embrace Rarity, Lice v lice editor Maja Nedelkovska said the aim was "to highlight that all rare disease patients are faced with big challenges in their lives."

She added: "Some of them are alive and well thanks to vital medications and treatments, but for others, there is no cure for them yet. The campaign stresses the importance of understanding them, giving a hand and embracing them, but also the need for constant research in new treatments."

The Embrace Rarity portaits were unveiled at a special exhibition in Skopje, and were displayed alongside short texts explaining each rare disease patient's story and the daily challenges they face. These were also published in a special edition of the magazine (cover pictured above).

 
Ana-Marija and Vera Miloshevska

The colours in Ana-Marija's (right) daily life are difficult to imagine. Delayed development, affected coordination, breathing difficulties, and lowered communication and cognitive skills are the characteristics of the RET syndrome, a disease that only affects women.





Iva Petrevska and Dani Dimitrovska

Living with Epidermolysis Bullosa means Iva’s skin is as delicate as a bubble. The slightest daily childhood activities cause painful sores on her body that require constant care and dressing, and even slight pressure, a tiny injury or scratch can threaten her health.

Vesna Aleksovska and Tanja Kokev

Having Gaucher’s disease made Vesna's (far left) bones prone to fracturing - even a slightly stronger embrace could cause a broken bone or a bruise on her body. After receiving therapy for five years, her state is now stable and she can lead a normal life.

Viktor Dimitrijoski and Bubo Karov

Viktor (far left) has never tasted chocolate, pancakes, ice-cream, walnuts, eggs, soy, meat or white bread. He has Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition makes body unable to break down a substance called phenylalanine, which builds up in the blood and brain. PKU is treated with a special low-protein diet, which reduces the levels of phenylalanine in the body and prevents brain damage.

  
Azemina Kurtishi  and Ognen Janeski

Azemina (far left) is the first patient diagnosed with rare disease Gaucher to receive appropriate therapy from the Macedonian state. Without it, this disease in its last stage can completely immobilise patients, causing discomfort and inflammation of the liver, osteoporosis and shorter life expectancy.


You can see more photos from the series, and learn the stories behind them, 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.