begs the question
Thursday, January 15th, 2009by 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?
rayres