Manos Unidas launches ‘Take a weight off your shoulder’ campaign to donate the smallest coins to projects in the poorest countries
According to data from the Bank of Spain, some 11,000 million one- and two-cent coins are circulating in Spain today. That is, each citizen has about 230 of these little copper pieces scattered in a corner of the house, in the bottom of a coat or maybe in a heavy piggy bank, waiting to burst it and see if the savings are enough to to pay a dinner… or as inflation is, a couple of coffees with churros.
While it is not helpful to generalize because there are citizens who are well aware of the value a few cents extra on a loaf of bread has to them, these coins are on the road to extinction because they cost more to manufacture than they are worth. , mainly because of the price of copper, a material that has become 425% more expensive since it was minted in 2002.
There are 158 million euros in one- and two-cent coins in Spain, a treasure for Manos Unidas, who just completed the ‘Shrug!’ so that Spaniards donate to charity those pennies that are often clumsy or lost in their pockets. There are even vending machines or parking meters that don’t accept them, and countries like Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland or Finland have already suspended their use and use rounding rules up to five cents for cash payments.
Here, these pieces are mainly used in one direction when giving change without consumers reusing them in their payments. “They have forgotten the great one. That is why we believe it is important to use all means to make the world a more supportive place and reach the people who need it most,” said Cecilia Pilar Gracia, President of Manos Unidas. “We have them all in our pockets or purses, or we collect them in jars. Now we want you to ‘free yourself of that weight’ and, by donating them, help us build a better world,” he explains. .
The money collected is used to finance development projects in the more than fifty countries where the organization is present.
Manos Unidas will carry out the collection through its 72 delegations and in collaborating institutions. The campaign will be lengthy to allow all citizens to participate, and will be enhanced at key consumption moments, such as Black Friday and Christmas. “With the simple gesture of depositing your pennies in the places we are going to set up, you will turn them into food, health, education, water, equality and environmental care for those who need it most,” recalls the president resigned from Manos Unidas.
The organization already collected pesetas last year, shortly before the deadline to exchange them for euros. Some 830,000 “blondes” were collected, the equivalent of 5,000 euros, who would otherwise have ended up in a foundry machine and eventually become a precious metal of solidarity.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
