June 10th, 2011 Part1 @Poznan, Poland
One of the vendors of Gazeta Uliczna, Jacek told me that he really enjoys talking with his customers. “Some of them comes to me with loneliness. All I can do is to be all ears,” he said. “They buy the magazines to support my life, I also want to do something for them!”
He got to know his partner, Renata, at a computer workshop here. Their chatting with a big smile under a tree seems to be so “happily-ever-after" thing to me.
Lech Bor sold this magazine deligently for a long time and currently works as a leader. As a musician, his life was always close to alcohol. The former 12 therapies for alcohol addicts brought him back to the spirit again, however, after the 13th one, he visited Barka community. It really worked well and he never went back to alcohol. “I don’t want to get back to dirty alcoholic. My dream is to be sober to the very last day.”

June 9th, 2011 @Poznan, Poland
As soon as the train got to the platform, I spotted Magda and Zanetta, staff of street magazine Gazeta Uliczna, sold here in Poznan.
This street magazine is one of the projects by Barka foundation. The history of this organization unfolded 20 years ago. In 1989, problems were piled up in this country since the political tide had changed drastically. One of the problems was housing. There was no law existed to help out who had kicked out their flats because they couldn’t afford to it any more. And there was the only way left for those people, sleeing on the street.
The first chapter of Barka foundation unfolded Barbara and Tomasz Sadowski started to live in a ruined school with those homeless people. They growed vegetables and livestock for living together.
Twenty years later, the organization has network all over Poland, and even to the other European countries with EU subsidies.
At their office in Poznan, a dozen of job-training workshops for long-term unemployed were held. One of them, at a sewing class, Beata told me that she had been unemployed for three years and social welfare center introduced her to this workshop. “Sitting at home without doing anything is the hardest life. Here, I have peers who I can share my challenges in my life. I think these workshops will help me to get a job and spend a stable life,” she said.
Members of cooking workshop prepare lunch for staff and participants. “My hubby was delighted when I served him special sandwiches,” one of the members, Irna told me. The vegetable soup they served was with a bunch of flavor of love.

June 3rd, 2011 Part 3 @ Munich, Germany
From street to grave---Godfathers made this BISS method possible. Their donation will be salary of employed vendors. For example, the Godfather of Martin Berrasoh is Rolf and Annegret Huffer and BISS has 36 of them.
The peaceful face of Martin is so persuading that one can be so relaxing if he or she gets “home.”
Hildegard has been putting vendors first for 17 years and this culture of BISS are really in full bloom in this beautiful city, Munich.

June 3rd, 2011 Part 2 @ Munich, Germany
Second pillar of BISS concept is how to treat the death of the vendors. In fact this Munich street magazine sent seven of them to heaven and has a grave for them too. Hildegard took me to the place where flowers were planted tidydily in the woods.
When BISS faced to a death of a vendor, they wrote a column on it, asking the readers how to treat this. One of the quick response was from Rudolph Moshammer, who was successful fashion designer whose father used to be a homeless. He decided to write on a will he would donate 500,000 euros and its interests to BISS. This huge donation made BISS decided to get ‘home’ to the deceased.
“When one of the vendors got serious ill, I tried to talk about afterwards. But it made him mad, saying why you are talking about this now. We had arguments with shouts again and again. He, however, at last, said to me ’I decided to be in BISS grave. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me, Hildegard.’” In the woods, Hildegard was sobbing and so was I. “I’m sorry, whenever I talk about him, it brought me to tears. He was one of my best friends…,” when her face was up to the sky, there was no more tears in her eyes.

June 3rd, 2011 Part1 @ Munich, Germany
BISS is Hildegard and Hildegard is BISS. Without knowing her, you can’t get a membership of International Network of Street Paper. I always look for her hug whenever I join INSP annual conference.
As I expected, she welcomed me into the office of BISS with a big smile and THE hug!
You could say that BISS is the most stable street magazine in the world. I always wanted to ask her what was the secret. As soon as I popped up the question, she answered, “The reason is that I always put vendors first, not the organization nor profits.” At first, her answer sounded too idealistic, but a day spent with her made me think that idealistic idea was the most realistic and practical.
Concept of BISS consists of three pillars; firstly, there are employed vendors. After working for them one year, a vendor can choose to be a part-time employed one, who needs to sell 400 magazines monthly. Once he or she gets self-confidence to sell 400 copies above monthly, a vendor could choose to be a full-timer with the salary of 1150 euros, who needs to sell 800 magazines monthly. According to BISS, none of the employed vendors failed to sell those amounts of magazines.
“Full-timers pay tax too, and I suppose they are the only people who are delighted to do that,” Hildegard smiled. They seem to be proud of contributing to the society. 46-year-old, Martin Berrasoh is one of the full-timers, who lives in a flat with his companion dog, Maya. He has been selling BISS magazines for 13 years, and got hired nine years ago. “I have just bought a used guitar. Listening to my favorite music at home, it’s such a blessing time to me.”

June 1st, 2011 @Salzburg, Austria---Munich, Germany
Fine rain welcomed me in Munich, Germany, where the street magazine BISS has been sold. It was given birth in 1993 by thirty social-workers and volunteers. The first 10,000 copies sold like pancakes and 50,000 more got reprinted. Currently BISS publishes 37,000 copies monthly in this beautiful town with 1.5 million people.
100 vendors are consisted of 26 percent of 40-49 years old, 42 percent of 50-59 years old, and 21 percent of 60-75 years old. The sellers below 39 years old are just 11 percent.
The reason why is that BISS introduces youngsters to job skill training. One of them is called Dynamo. In this social enterprise, long-time unemployed people can learn how to be a bike mechanic.
Witnessing 11 people were earnestly polishing parts of bikes there, when I visited. Those bikes used to be trash, however, bike-mechanic-to-be make them into treasure here. One of the participant, Petra Haug is going to get a certificate in the end of this year. “I really enjoy working here. Time flies when I’m working on bikes,” she smiled. “My dream is to be independent as a mechanic, and eventually design a wheelchair for my best friend.”
The director of the organization, Karin Lohr said “We need contacts with society, income and self-esteem in order to get long-time unemployed people included in the society. Witnessing blooming peoples’ potential is such a great joy to me!”

May 31st, 2011 @ Salzburg, Austria
Michaela has been working for the street magazine Apropos for twelve years. “I was delighted to get an award for a journalist here, but the most joyful moment is always coming from our vendors,” she said. “Witnessing vendors’ helping out each other is making my day all the time.”
Apropos published a book titled “What does home mean to you?” recently. Fifteen vendors are answering the question by essay, fiction, and interview. Some say “I feel home when I’m on a back of a horse.” Some say “I’ve never met my mother and always been looking for one.”
“What does home mean to you?” I asked Michaela. “Well…I share an answer with one of the vendors. Home is always in my heart. The loved ones are always my home.”