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In more than 600 cities around the world,
there are homeless people working their way out of poverty.
Every day, 14,000 vendors earn their own, dignified living.
They sell street papers.
From Glasgow to Tokyo and from Sydney to Cape Town,
a unique social enterprise model is changing lives.
But how does it work?
Vendors firstly buy their street papers
for 50 per cent of the cover price.
And then they sell them on.
With the profit made from the first copy,
the vendor can then buy two more.
And two becomes four. And four becomes eight. And so on.
Like any entrepreneur, street paper vendors take a business risk
– and they work hard, come rain or shine.
And the model works.
Between them, homeless vendors make a profit
of more than 40 million dollars a year.
Since the first street paper launched in 1989,
the concept has expanded across the world.
Today, there are more than 100 different titles in 40 countries.
They are united by the International Network of Street Papers.
As one of the largest social enterprise networks in the world,
INSP provides training and resources to existing street papers,
and also helps to start up new ones.
Between them, street papers sell 27 million copies each year.
Through INSP, a network of journalists work together
to report on important stories.
And 6 million global readers attract the attention of famous names,
like Prince William
and the Dalai Lama.
Exclusive interviews create a huge boost in sales
for tens of thousands of homeless vendors worldwide.
INSP also safeguards the sustainability of street papers
– through research and innovation.
To take concept into 21st century,
the network launched the world’s first digital street paper.
Customers buy an access code from their vendor,
to read a digital edition on their smartphone, tablet or computer.
Whatever their format, the concept works.
And INSP street papers – and their vendors
– continue to inspire change.