And finally…beggar’s relief

A group of Dutch innovators have come up with a creative solution to the problem faced by beggars and homeless people in a world where today’s shoppers are ever more reliant on alternative payment options and less likely to be carrying spare change.

Carsten van Berkel and Stefan Leendertse of N = 5, an Amsterdam-based advertising agency, are reinventing for the 21st century the modest relief provided to beggars and homeless people through small acts of charity in the form of a contactless payment jacket.

They say the jacket allows people to donate 1€ to the wearer using their contactless smart card.

The unusual clothing item has a card reader sewn into it, and in order to donate €1 to the wearer, all you have to do is hold the card close to the jacket for a few moments, and the sum is automatically debited from your bank account.

The contactless payment jacket also comes with an LCD screen which constantly displays instructions of use.

“People have less cash in their pockets,” says Jan Jesse Bakker, the designer of the jacket. “And if you have a single euro on you and give it to a homeless person, then you do not know what happens to it.

“That’s one of the big advantages of the contactless payment jacket; you’re not giving cash to a total stranger to do with it what he pleases. Instead, the fixed sum (one euro) goes into a bank account managed by a homeless shelter, and can only be used to purchase a hot meal, pay for a bath or spend a night at a homeless shelter (many such centres in the Netherlands require a contribution of 5€ per night). Homeless people who really want to turn their life around can also save money for various job certification courses or a down-payment for a home.”

“We can offer the homeless more than just a warm Christmas,” Bakker adds. “We give them back prospects.”