I’ve been selling Hecho en Buenos Aires (hba) for more than three years. I came along with a friend who was having some problems and who had been encouraged to take part in hba’s art workshops. I didn’t know about the magazine but they asked if I wanted to sign up, and I had been such a long time out of work with health problems. Before selling hba, I used to work in a sewing workshop. I spent a lot of time there sitting down!
Now I feel brilliant. I like it because the street has its charms, people always come up and chat to me at my patch ... I don’t make readers feel obliged to buy the magazine; I like to show them that I work with dignity. There are some people who buy it from me as soon as it comes out; that’s what my clients are like. In terms of the readers, I think there are some people who buy it simply because you are homeless, but there are lots of people who are really interested in whatever the subject matter of the magazine is. And then, as always, there are those who aren’t right in the head and joke that it costs 15 pesos but, would you believe it, this money today will only buy me two little bottles of milk!
I think that, seeing as the contents are good quality, it’s the ideal thing for people to buy and read at the table as they eat their lunch. You always have your regular readers, and the guy that passes by for the first time and you win him over because he likes you, because of what you say, or your attention. People always notice. The human eye was made to see, right?
My life has changed since being involved with hba. I was able to start managing some of my own money. This has made a difference because I can now think about getting things sorted. Managing your own money allows you to have more freedom.
I would like to have my own place, a place where I can relax, rest my head at the end of the day. With faith, I will be able to do this. I am also still single, and I would like to have a family. Everything will happen in time. To the readers: We need them so much, just as they need us. Let’s keep the machine going, and if it needs a bit of oil to keep going then let’s add some ... keep buying it! Best wishes to those who buy it and those who sell it.