Interview with Maurice



We interviewed Maurice Erkens. This is what he told about Trikado Almere:

“I work here, in the shop Trikado. Trikado is a shop were mentally handicapped people can work.

There are different things for sale in this shop. These things are partly made by people who work at the daycentre Triambacht. These people make candles, things with textile, art and necklaces. With art, I mean especially paintings and sculpting. I made a painting by myself. This painting isn’t for sale but they are at the carts which we sell"

"There are eight mentally handicapped people and three mentors. The mentors are Coby, Frank and another person who helps. Coby is the boss of this shop. She established it.”
Maurice thinks Coby is a nice person.
“She takes care of everything and she gave us these beautiful sweaters with ‘Trikado’ on it.”

Maurice loves to work in the shop:
“We may do a lot individually and that is very cool.”

Maurice has worked at Atteljee too. There, he made art.
“The nice thing of making art is that everybody can do it. For example, there is a deaf girl. But she can paint beautifully. She shows her feelings in her paintings and that makes them so special and beautiful.”

The mentally handicapped people get a lot of attention of the media. They did a lot of interviews. And there was even a video record!

Maurice works three days a week at Trikado. He would like to work more days but he has a lot of hobbies. And if he would work longer or more days, he can’t do his hobbies.

Maurice likes Trikado because he gets into contact with a lot of people.
Often people come in the shop to look what is happening and how it looks like. Or when they want to buy a present.