Photo by: navintHow would you react to the art of begging?
Exiting an airport in most of the third world is a daunting chore.
First the smells hit you. As you near the door the waves of heat trigger the sweating. As you walk through the automatic sliding door someone grabs your left arm, then you’re right. Soon you are swarmed with droves of strangers, tugging at you from all directions. [Who are these people and why are they touching me?]
In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, we were shown how children are exploited for their puppy dog charm in the art of begging for the cause of crime rings. Our instinctive sympathy for children makes us, as westerners in a foreign land a great target for this slumdog marketing campaign. This is true in many cases. We are drawn to these kids’ disposition.
They use movie quotes in their sentences and have cool names like Spider Woman, which they have dubbed themselves.
In Cambodia, for example, a lot of the street kids speak perfect English, with an Australian twang. They use movie quotes in their sentences and have cool names like Spider Woman, which they have dubbed themselves.
According to the World Bank, over 1 billion people live on the salary of $1.25 per day. This sounds sad, however the good news is this wage has gone up a quarter since 2004.
Now how can we contribute to these kids lives without aiding in the delinquency of this underground industry? Here is what I usually do…
- Buy them a soda
- Get them a snack or candy from a street vendor
- Give them something from your home country
I travel a lot, and have lived in several third world nations. When I used to walk out of my flat, I would always see the same kid, Lizard. He would hang out on the Mekong, always playing with his buddies hitting empty water bottles with a stick.
Whenever he would see me he would run over and start up a conversation. I could never tell who Lizard was working for or with, but he always was discreetly looking over his shoulder when talking with me. He wanted to just be a kid, but knew he was working. Every now and then, when I was on my way to eat I would invite him to eat with me. Immediately after finishing he would always say he must go and would ask to take leftovers with him. I never gave Lizard cash.
I have seen people give pens and generic school supplies, but these kids are not at that point yet. They are trying to survive. Many of them beg saying that they must pay for school. Some cases of this statement are true, however most nations provide free education funded usually by non-governmental organizations working within the countries. The catch is many of the teachers charge for test copies or you can just buy your grade. Sadly this is the mentality these Slumdogs grow up with.
There really is no good way to reward begging and we shouldn’t condone it. We aren’t going to stop giving. We just have to think about the effects that what we give may have on our surroundings. Usually a well thought out item is better than cash or change. Try to give something immediate and consumable.
If you buy a street child a hat or shirt, it may act as a bulls eye for other kids making him a target for thievery. The best thing you can give them is just the time in your day to notice they exist.
Amazing post Eric!
I´ve always agreed to that.
Cash won´t make much difference in their situation. In most cases it is just a quick fix for a much deeper problem and it isn´t spent on something we were planning our donated money to be spent on, such as food for example. Also it doesn´t go to the kids either anyway.
Coming from Brazil, I´m a bit more used to this sort of situation that might be shocking for some people visiting 3rd world countries for the first time. Even though when Ive visited poorer countries than mine seeing the same thing but aggravated was very very sad.
I learnt at very early age not to give money to people begging at my doorstep, claiming they were hungry. Instead, my mum would give them food and they would leave it behind when we got back in to the house. Hunger was just an excuse for them to go and spend your pennies on their addiction.
I once tried to buy food to a kid who was visibly desperate to get some money from me because I think he would be in trouble with his parents or whoever was bossing him otherwise. Even realising it with my heart broken I didnt give him cash but convinced him to sit down and eat something so we could chat for a while. Acknowledging them is a way to show them they are worth of something other than a few coins and it certainly can make a difference in their lives. Dont treat them as a threat or something to be sorry for, there´s already too many people doing it. And it hasn´t made any difference in their lives, has it?
It might be a romantic view of it but as I unfortunately don´t do much else to change the world, at least on these small actions I try to change the world around me a little bit.
Wow! I got carried away by this!
Thanks for your post
Milene
Dear Eric,
The title and the phrase "in an airport in a 3rd world country"
caught my attention and I want to read more about your travels to over 80 nations. There must be lots of stories. Please write more.
Thank you
Anna lou
I always thought that taking a football would be a good option, the kids would love it but again as Eric says, they could be bullied into handing it over.
Thanks,
Paul @
TravMonkey.com
A good post, though I wholeheartedly disagree with giving to beggars (except sharing food). It's far better to find an organisation that helps street kids (maybe providing food, shelter or just a place for them to hang out and be kids) and donate to that – there's a much better chance that the moeny will do some good. I dont think giving candy and soda is a good idea when we're talking about kids who most likely don't have access to a dentist… Really, giving anything just encourages beggars to associate travellers with handouts, which is never good.
Hi Lucy,
Good points, I think you are right when you say you should really focus on helping with food, shelter etc rather than giving money. After all it is nearly impossible to know exactly where the money is going to end up.
Thanks,
Paul @
TravMonkey.com
I agree with Lucy that we shouldn't give in to these beggars.
When I went to Cairo to see the pyramids there were hundreds of these beggars (as pictured in this article).
It wouldn't surprise me whatsoever if these kids were pimped (if you like) to raise money that they wouldn't even keep themselves.
As Lucy says find an organisation and this will be more beneficial.
As a first time backpacker to Cambodia last year, I struggled wholeheartedly with the predicament of child beggars. It killed me to refuse them but as I ran into several situations where locals scolded me for giving in and purchasing baby formula or buying their trinkets, I slowly learned my lesson. Thank you for shining light on this issue. It’s something that first time backpackers might not expect and don’t understand how to deal with. The next time I travel, I will be more informed on not encouraging kids to beg and giving my money to charitable organizations instead.
Thanks for your comment Britany, totally agree, it can be a difficult thing to face as a first time traveller. I love this article as it is really well written and informative.
This is a really great post.
I always find it difficult when I come across beggars, especially children – it’s a head and a heart thing. I never give money because I don’t want to encourage begging. Instead, like you, I offer them food and drink and have a chat with them, if they are willing.
Thanks Rob,
It’s one of my favourite guest posts on TravMonkey. Well written and great well made points I think.
Nice post Eric,
I enjoyed it a lot. I was in Tunisia a few years ago and you could see people in the bushes watching and keeping an eye on the children, making sure they are doing their jobs. Even at 12 at night, they were still out trying to get money from tourists, it was good to read this article from your perspective.
Rob.