April 25th, 2011 @Manila
Jeepey is at the crossroad. An American missionary couple left for their country and former social worker, Reah works as a director of this street magazine now, with a marketing director Cecile and Joselito in charge of distribution.
“I once declined the offer to be a director,” Reah revealed. “It seemed too much burden for me.” She, however, undertook the responsibility and has been trying to make this magazine sustainable.
One of the problems Jeepney has is that selling anything on the street is illegal in this Asian country. You may say that you have seen many stallkeepers on the street of Manila. All of them take risks even though they know they might be in prison, if policemen are on a whim.
That is the reason why Jeepney vendors are not selling the magazine on the street, but instead of it, going onto malls, international schools and anywhere they asked. Jeepney is published 3000 copies per an issue which is sold by 100 peso(50 percent of it is vendor’s profit).
Reah often visits the 11 vendors, listens to their complaining and sheds tears together. On a special occasion, she takes some of the vendors to a beach. In this way she has been spending her time with them and building up relationships with them.
“I had been working as a social worker, however, always struggling with a dilemma, which homeless people had limited opportunities to get a job. I think Jeepny could be one of the solutions for this.”