What would make one shell out a hundred pesos for a street paper with a name as unfamiliar as The Jeepney?

The publishers of The Jeepney are banking on man’s supposed innate goodness, that the simple thought of helping a vendor earn a living, provide food, and afford shelter for his family are reasons enough to make him buy this ‘street newspaper’.

Curiously, The Jeepney is considered the first street paper in developing Asia and the Philippines.

American couple William and Deborah Shaw of the Urban Opportunities for Change Foundation, Inc. (UOCF) launched the paper in March 2008 to provide jobs for homeless people in the country.

Unlike traditional newspapers and magazines, The Jeepney is a magazine-type street paper that boasts of glossy pages, vivid pictures and interesting life stories, particularly of its vendors and other marginalized Filipinos.

PAPER TO EMPOWER

Worldwide, street papers are common and successful particularly in Europe, the US and Japan. Deborah cites a paper in Oslo, Norway, which sold so many copies on the first day that it was released that an additional 65,000 copies had to be printed.

“Street papers are means to empower people. Since we wanted to involve ourselves with the homeless, we decided to give it a try here. Street papers may vary in terms of content and quality in different countries but primarily it’s a voice for the poor.

It seeks to educate the curious, wake up the apathetic, generate emotion, and promote compassion. It is like other street papers in the world trying to provide a job with dignity,” Deborah explains.

The impact of street papers in other countries is tremendous as it has become an effective tool in fighting homelessness and reducing poverty despite the varying challenges in each country.

She says that they chose the name The Jeepney because as the most common mode of transport in the Philippines, jeepneys move people from one place to another. “And we want this street paper to move people out of poverty,” she explains.

In other countries, street papers work because 50 percent of the sales go to the vendor. In turn, they are supposed to use the money to buy additional papers.

In the case of The Jeepney, vendors are given 10 free magazines to sell for R100 each. When sold, they come back to buy the next 10 at half the price or P50 each.

This unique concept, Deborah says, promotes entrepreneurship, savings, accountability and self-worth among the vendors.

It also teaches the value of a steady job and provides them a chance to earn a living that is enough to sustain a family.

Unlike newspaper vendors who peddle on the streets, The Jeepney vendors sell in commercial establishments where they can attract more people who are most likely to afford their street magazines. Vendors also undergo training by the UOCF so that they are able to explain its purpose and contents to buyers.

This early, The Jeepney has already gained international recognition for its efforts. It was the only street paper to win the International Street Paper Award 2009 during the recent International Network of Street Papers Conference in Norway. It was cited for its interview with Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga.

More than the award though, The Jeepney has been fulfilling its promise to help its vendors, most of whom are former street dwellers and beggars.

“Bukod sa kitang sapat pambayad ng renta sa bahay, pambili ng pagkain at damit ng mga anak at apo ko, lumakas din ang loob ko at natutong makipag-usap sa tao. Ang Jeepney Magazine ay nagbigay sa akin ng pag-asa at pagkakataon para magkatrabaho ng marangal. Para makangiti at mabuhay muli,” says 50-year-old vendor Dante Federizo.

NO PLACE TO GO

In the Philippines, the lack of safe and legal locations to sell, and the struggle to find socially aware people with expendable income pose an obstacle to UOCF’s endeavor.

“When we started for instance, we had 40 eager vendors in uniforms who tried selling in a commercial establishment in Cubao. But many of them were hindered by MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) operatives.

Due to that incident, only a few lasted because of the struggle with placement,” she laments.

To help the vendors sell, UOCF mounts occasional photo exhibits in the malls to make selling legal for the vendors and further attract buyers. True enough, in some instances, vendors are able to sell 40 papers a day.

Deborah says they are trying to seek permission from other big malls in Manila to allow them to sell inside their establishments for free. She adds that some vendors who sell in school parking lots also have good turnout in their sales.