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Update 7 - 7th August
2005
BEGGING
As a means of survival, begging
revolts my soul. I can hardly bear to watch another human
being scuttling across the wet, muddy ground rushing
towards me trying to catch my eye, stopping with an arm
outstretched hoping for a coin. Often the face is keen
and intelligent but malformed limbs puts him or her into
the category of ‘different’.
Not the same physically as us ‘normals’ but
surely the human being within is the same.
Begging has been a feature of human society since time
immemorial but does this mean that it has to be acceptable?
For a vast majority of the ‘different’ people
there are no alternatives. Society, generally, has rejected
them. For various reasons; because it has always been
so; for cultural and religious beliefs; because so often
the economics of a country does not allow for too many
alternatives such as social benefits and so on. Poverty
is an all pervasive evil.
However, some people employ begging as an income-generating
activity. I remember, during my time in Cambodia, that
many amputees made quite a lucrative business out of
begging. Especially so in the well-patronised ‘Russian
Market’, where tourists abounded. I became quite
friendly with many of them and it became a joke when
they would ask me for money and I would ask them for
a loan.
What saddens me however is the young disabled being
forced to beg to get enough money to buy food and other
essentials. Last week I interviewed some young disabled
people on the streets:
Godefa is an eleven year old
boy, on elbow crutches because of one deformed limb.
He had been left in a town in Tigray, far away from
his family, who were poor farmers. With no money
he is forced to beg. I asked him why he had been
abandoned and he said “My family is too poor
and I can’t work on the farm”. But perhaps
the most important point was the answer he gave me when
I asked him what he wanted to do “I want to learn”.
He was a bright young man who deserves that opportunity
to learn.
Two young blind boys were also begging outside a tourist
hotel. I also asked them why they were begging and received
much the same replies. They had also come from poor rural
families who could not afford to keep them and they wanted
to attend school. At the moment they were sheltering
in the grounds of the Orthodox Church but in a few weeks
they were being required to find alternative shelter
because of the high numbers of orphans needing shelter.
They needed to beg to buy food.
From these interviews many questions and issues arose
which are being followed-up such as:
- The provision of basic needs; food, shelter
and clothes - many international conventions and mandates
include the necessity of providing basic needs
- How can these basic needs to met and by whom in
a region where there are thousands in a similar position?
- How can families be assisted to keep many young
disabled children and youths within their own communities?
Much of the work we are doing revolves around these
and other issues. More about this work later.
As always I will be very pleased to receive any comments,
suggestions or whatever about anything I am writing.
It will be great to have your views helenptt@yahoo.com
Helen Pitt
7th August 2005
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