Four Makkies for the cinema: Amsterdam-East neighborhood coin exists 10 years
The neighborhood coin of Amsterdam-East is ten years old. Anyone who does volunteer work, such as helping a neighbor with cooking language lessons, can earn a Makkie. You can spend it at local shops, catering establishments of cultural institutions. You can now pay with the Makkie in 42 places in East.
The Makkie can be earned and spent in the Indische Buurt, the Dapperbuurt and the Transvaalbuurt. The intent of the currency is to stimulate small-scale economies and volunteering and increase togetherness.
The Java Bookstore sells on average about two Makkies a week. “At the beginning a little careful to start, a little getting used to and asking about it really allowed. It’s a slow start,” says co-owner Sanne Fase.
There are on average 15,000 Makkies in circulation and about 900 volunteers are affiliated with volunteer organizations where you can earn Makkies. District chairman Carolien de Heer is enthusiastic about the coin. “We want to use the coin more widely in other neighborhoods in East and are also looking at other city districts to take over working with the Makkie,” she says.
Malika Frindi earns 32 Makkies a week as a volunteer at the Dappere Dames foundation. “It is very important for this neighborhood. There is a lot of poverty. And there will be a lot of poverty. We have seen that with corona and now the next battle again. The Makkie can really help with that,” she says.
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