begs the question
by Rachael
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
It’s mid-afternoon and we’re mooching about the guesthouse. I look across at ER2, who is sitting in her Dadda’s lap. Hands outstretched, she’s pretending to beg. I decide the time has come to ask the children something that’s been mulling round in my head for weeks now.
As we sit there on the street corner waiting for dinner, my question pops out, “What do you think of the beggars?”
Mboy6 is often first with an answer. “They’re bad. They always ask for money.” He’s not always so direct! And where did that idea come from? It’s not like we’ve suggested anything of the sort. I was particularly intrigued at his answer, because the other day he found 100riel (next to nothing!) on the footpath and carried it around all day, his treasure. In the afternoon when some kids came begging, he gave it away. I had to find out why.
“Why did you give those children your money the other day?”
“So they’d go away. I thought if I gave them some, they would leave us alone. I don’t like them asking for money all the time.”
Not as philanthropic as I’d thought! And not successful at losing the crowd either – you give one note and more kids appear!
I hadn’t realised the begging makes even our smaller children uncomfortable. It’s something we’ve been faced with every day, but not yet discussed. The conversation continued as we considered why people beg, how they go about it, what alternatives there are, how well-to-do the small-stall owners might be, how to decide who to give money to, making judgments, what else we can offer, treating everyone with dignity and respect, the swearing-at-the-beggars-ex-pat some of the family noticed the other day, what the Bible means by “give to everyone who asks”, the proliferation of limbless people here, “what do YOU think Mum?”…..
Dear reader, what do YOU think of begging?
Tags: children, food, money, parenting, postcard: Cambodia
rayres
We first faced beggars when we visited Bangladesh years ago…it was a full on, in your face assault! I just reminded Hubby about it and he said you felt pestered and guilty at the same time and there was no easy way to appease either of those feelings. We learned very quickly to not give as soon as we arrived somewhere but wait till we were leaving in the work van and throw money out the window. In Auckland I used to keep McDonalds vouchers in my purse to give to people on K Rd;-) I don’t have answers, just the same sort of questions.
Hmmm. A rather thorny issue.Popular worldly ‘wisdom’ says ‘don’t give to beggars – it only encourages them’ ‘If you give to one, you’ll have to give to them all. You’ll never get rid of them’ etc etc. The Boble has heaps to say about the Poor. It seems to accept the fact that there will always be poor people, and one of the strongest injunctions to Christians is that they should care for the poor. So it’s not a crime to be poor. Ah, but what about beggars? Well the Bible has a few of those mentioned here and there. There was Lazarus (covered in sores) who evidently found favour with God because he ended up in Heaven. Obviously he was in bad shape & unable to work. Then there was the crippled beggar at the Pool. He too was unable to work, but Peter said to him ‘I haven’t any money, but I can heal you’ So the beggar was returned to health & well being and presumably was left to go and find work.
So I have come to these conclusions:
In a country with no provision for the sick & disabled – give to organisations set up to help them
The able-bodied should be helped into meaningful labour – give to organisations that assist the destitute to get back on their feet
Treat beggars with respect, but do not give to them directly.
Trust the people on the spot to know how best to help eliminate beggars.
geez sharon McD’s vouchers?! you sure know how to get them off your back huh?! lol…
hmm… i figure that if people are (desperate?) enough to be out on the street with their hands/hats out then they certainly need something… but what?! empathy? money? food? shelter? drug treatment? life lessons? good advice? a cold shoulder? a slap round the head? a McD’s voucher? ( 😉 ) i suppose it all depends on the giver & the beggar at that moment in time, their willingness to give or receive, and, maybe most importantly, their openness to doing what is *needed* rather than just what they might prefer.. if that makes sense?
i think your grandpabear has it sussed pretty well 🙂
I would always try to give food to children who come begging. I remember giving fancy-cut fruit, bread rolls, butter and jam (from a hotel breakfast) to a bunch of kids at The Russian Market and they giggled as they took the food from my hands, completely caught by surprise. They all look like they don’t get enough to eat so I think that’s the least harm I can do without having to walk away feeling bad that the child’s gonna starve. Downside, I know, is that they might expect free food all through life…..