Meet the changemakers: Fairphone Ambassador Rewilders Project

We’re on a journey to change the electronics industry – and we’re not alone. While the Fairphone is a physical expression of the possibility of change, it also happens to be a great storytelling device that connects us with inspiring changemakers from all over.

In this series, we want to shine a light on our ambassadors: A group of bright individuals that share our vision of a fairer future and contribute to sustainable change in their own meaningful way. Next up is the Rewilders Project, Brais and Agnes, who are on a self-powered journey to the environmental frontlines.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do: 

Brais: We’re Agnes and Brais, the couple behind the Rewilders project, a self-powered journey towards the environmental frontlines. And by self-powered I mean literally. We travel only by foot, bike, and pack raft into the wilderness. No mass transportation; just a couple of backpacks or panniers with the basics. We don’t sleep in hotels, neither do we eat in restaurants. During the last twelve years, I have learned what I need and don’t need to be comfortable, and so far I’ve got it down to 15 kilograms of belongings and a budget of 1,5€ per day.

Agnes: Both of us were really shocked seeing the pace of ecosystem collapse in so many places. Already having an alternative, degrowth lifestyle, we wanted to do more. We decided to set off on a quest to join citizens, scientists and organizations committed to responsible stewardship of the last wild places.

While exploring and protecting, we aim to inspire others to take action too, so we share our expeditions on the Website, Instagram and Facebook.

How did you first learn about Fairphone?

Brais: There was a volunteer who worked with me organizing a bike festival in Spain years ago who had one, and someone who lived in an eco-village in Sweden who was keen to show it off as an example of conscious consumer choices. Hard to say when we first became aware… Since we are often surrounded by activist people there are always some Fairphones around!

Was there a turning point in your life that made you act/think more sustainably?

Agnes: When I was about to finish my degree in architecture I started to ask myself: what is the best way to use the knowledge I gathered during my studies? How can I make my work meaningful? How can I not contribute to the huge negative impact that the construction industry has on the environment? I ended up discovering natural building and permaculture which later opened up the whole world of deep ecology, and how nature can be our model and mentor.

Brais: The turning point was my first bike trip across Europe. I was 19 and everything I saw left a huge impression: over-consumption, population growth, loss of natural habitats, biodiversity extinction… I just did not want to be part of that. So I started searching for alternative paths.

What is something you’re super passionate about?

Agnes: Eco-activism. For us, there is nothing more intense than roaming the world using our own strength while defending a mountain here and a river there.

What is something you can’t live without?

Brais: Pristine nature and a well-packed rucksack!

What is a tip you give people to live more sustainably?

Brais: Fight for what really matters, being neutral is not enough. Historical advances did not occur with passive citizens. Realize your own power, connect with like-minded people, and do as much as you can to win the battle of our generation, the battle to save mother Earth.

Can you show us your 3 favorite photos taken with your Fairphones and tell us why?

This picture was taken during an action organized by Friends of the Earth to eradicate invasive flora from the dunes’ ecosystem of the Atlantic coast.

Autumn is always a beautiful season. Not just because of the colorful landscapes but also the treasures that you can find in the forest. Here we show a handful of home-dried hedgehog mushrooms foraged in the last days.

Brais with our favorite means of transportation – engineless and fossil-free mobility.

How does Fairphone and using the Fairphone 3 help you do what you do?

Agnes: Fairphone definitely strengthens the coherence in the Rewilders project. It ensures us that the technology we are using is sourced ethically and sustainably and it is not contributing to the devastation of the same biodiversity hotspots that we are heading to.

Moreover, our journey is all about connecting with people involved in environmental conservation all over the world. But to do that through a device designed by a team with the same goals and ideals, well, this makes us feel a part of a bigger, much-needed movement shifting the concept of business and consumption.

Thanks so much for your time.

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You can follow the Rewilders Project on their website, Instagram and Facebook.

For more on the Rewilders, and our other Fairphone Ambassadors, stay tuned to this blog or head on over to our community page.